


Moment I Met You

by PwoperNinjaElf



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Clubbing, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, Drunken Shenanigans, Friends to Lovers, Hand Jobs, Kissing, Lads Being Lads, Lads on Holiday, Laughter, Long Hair, M/M, Making Out, Sharing a Bed, Snogging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-07
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-30 11:26:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 34,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5162144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PwoperNinjaElf/pseuds/PwoperNinjaElf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sun, surf and plenty of casual, no strings attached sex are what Harry thought he was signing himself up for when he agreed to join Niall on a lads trip with his uni friend Liam and his mates. He certainly never expected to find himself falling for someone for the first time. Naturally it’s for the straight one with trust issues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moment I Met You

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so while this is not my first fic, it is my first for a new fandom and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous as all hell. I had a lot of fun writing this, as seen by the ridiculous word count, and I can only hope it reads as well.
> 
> I struggled a lot with the name but eventually settled on this one, which comes from One Direction's "Stand Up", cos I'm lame like that and just really felt the lyrics worked well with the fic.
> 
> I'd just like to say a big thank you to [Dolce](http://haydolce.tumblr.com/) for trying to help me out and answering my barrage of questions, as well as for inadvertently being the reason I ended up writing this. I also then want to say a massive thanks to my dear friend [Evie](http://magicoftheproblematique.tumblr.com/) who gave this a read through for me, even though the lads aren't exactly her scene.
> 
> Naturally this work is all fiction and no offense was intended, however, the story and characters are mine. It's all just meant to be fun, so I hope you enjoy.

“There they are!” Niall announced, a wide grin spreading over his face as he waved his arms around madly in the direction of his approaching friends.

Summer holidays had finally come around and, in his characteristically faultless enthusiasm, Niall had suggested that he and Harry go for a lads’ holiday to Magaluf with a uni mate of his and his friends. Harry could hardly say no to those big, blue puppy dog eyes and besides, a holiday in the sunshine by the beach sounded amazing to him; he needed a holiday. So here they were, at the airport waiting for the others, who’d caught a different flight, before they all went off to find their hotel.

“Nialler!” the stockiest one of the lot, Liam, greeted smiling broadly as he abandoned his roller suitcase and grabbed Niall into a bear hug, the other two waiting their turns, both smiling away too.

Harry had meet Niall’s mate Liam and his boyfriend, Zayn, several times over the past few months, but he had yet to meet the third and shortest member of their party. Looking at him now though, with his bright blue eyes, messy dark hair, skin-tight jeans – which showed off some pretty impressive legs – and baggy black tank, Harry couldn’t quite wait to get to know him better.

He didn’t exactly have a type at all, but he’d have to be blind not to find the bloke interesting from the get-go. And then of course those thighs... Thick and muscular... Harry couldn’t help imagining what they’d feel like wrapped around his waist or even his neck...

“Harry! Looking good, mate. Love the shirt,” Liam then said moving onto Harry as the others were left to greet each other and so snapping him out of his increasingly heated thoughts.

“Er, thanks,” Harry laughed, hugging him back, before he was then pulled into another hug by Zayn.

“Yeah, who knew a pink shirt with polka dots could look so stylish,” Zayn agreed, pulling back to give him a good onceover.

“Er, thanks,” Harry repeated, feeling his cheeks heat a bit.

“Harry could pull off anything, he just has that way about him,” Niall declared, playfully yanking on a lock of Harry’s wavy, dark hair.

“I’m sure he could.” The odd combination of the newcomer’s voice, somewhat raspy but slightly high-pitched too, drew Harry’s eyes immediately back over to the scruffy brunet. “Hey, I’m Louis by the way,” he then quickly added, reaching his hand out towards him.

“Harry,” he grinned back, unable not to when met with the dorky grin Louis was giving him and easily moved to accept his handshake, an odd fluttering settling in his gut at the first contact of their skin.

“Uh, yeah, I’ve actually heard quite a bit about you from these two,” he laughed, nudging his head in the direction of Liam and Zayn, who just shrugged. “I believe they’re quite taken with you.”

“What can we say, Harry’s irresistible! You should see him in a club, he doesn’t get left alone this one,” Liam said playfully moving to tug on a lock of Harry’s hair too.

“Oi, what is it with all the hair pulling?” Harry giggled batting his hand away.

“Irresistible!” Liam just stated again with a loud laugh, before Zayn suggested they best go find their shuttle to the hotel.

“So, how do you and Niall know each other then?” Louis asked a little later, Harry and him having ended up sitting together in the shuttle (a fact Harry would be lying about if he said he wasn’t pleased with), Liam and Zayn with each other ahead of them and Niall up in the front.

“We’re old family friends, I’ve known him for like ever. So when he moved to England for uni, we both just decided to get an apartment together,” Harry shrugged, brushing back some of his dark hair behind his ear.

“Oh, cool. Yeah, I’ve known Liam practically my whole life too,” Louis nodded, before abruptly punching the seat in front of him. “Oi, Payno, keep it in your pants until we get to the hotel at least!” he chuckled, the couple’s impromptu make-out session ahead of them getting a bit too steamy.

Both Zayn and Liam just gave him the finger, neither bothering to stop kissing.

“And this here is why we got a separate room,” he laughed shaking his head. “You have no idea what I have to put up with, sharing an apartment with these two.”

“I can only imagine,” Harry laughed, Niall and even the unrepentant lovers joining in.

“So, tell me, Harold – can I call you Harold? – what is it that you’re studying?”

Harry couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped him at that, but nodded regardless. “Yeah, sure, whatever makes you happy. Um, I’m not actually studying – well not exactly. I’ve gone down the culinary route; I work in a bakery at the moment.”

“Oh, wow, nice! I should come by some time and snag a few of your pastries; now _that_ would make me happy,” Louis said, bright blue eyes twinkling away with promise.

“Yeah, sure, you’re more than welcome to – heck, I’ll even give you them for free.”

“Aw, Harry’s already trying to charm the pants off Louis,” Niall said, prompting Liam and Zayn to laugh loudly with him, even Louis chuckled a bit, but Harry just felt his cheeks heat madly.

Damn, was he really that transparent? Either he was losing his touch or there was just... something about Louis, which had him acting like a kid with his first crush.

Harry knew it was silly though, he’d come to Magaluf hoping to just catch some sun and surf during the day and party all night, as well as get his share of some good, no-strings attached sex. Developing something for someone in their friend group, would only serve to complicate things. Harry didn’t need stress in his life; he was young still and just wanted to enjoy it freely.

When they eventually got there though, Louis getting off the shuttle ahead of him and so giving him the perfect view of his impossibly lush arse, Harry knew he was done for. And there he’d been thinking it was just those dreamy blue eyes and sexy thighs he had to worry about...

~x~

“Mine! Shot gun this one!” Louis declared, dumping his bags down and leaping onto the bed by the window, before kicking his Vans off and scrunching his bare toes into the white duvet.

“Harry can have the middle one then, I wanna be closest to the bathroom; this week’s gonna be full of drinking after all,” Niall laughed throwing some of his stuff onto the closest bed, leaving Harry to set up camp on the middle bed. He wasn’t about to complain, this way he got to be next to both Louis and his best mate.

“Think we can head off to the beach soon? Knowing Liam and Zayn, they won’t leave their room for a while still and I don’t wanna miss what daylight’s left,” Louis suggested, rolling onto his side to look over at the other two, Niall mirroring his lazy sprawl on his own bed and Harry already at work hanging his shirts up in one of the closets.

“Sounds good to me,” Niall yawned, stretching out some more.

“Yeah, sure, just lemme quickly finish hanging up my clothes first,” Harry agreed. Unlike the other two, he didn’t want any creases in his clothes.

“Hmm, sure,” Louis shrugged, before stretching out some more himself, causing his tank to ride up a bit on his torso, revealing some of the silky skin beneath. “Wow, Harold, you sure have an impressive collection of shirts.”

Harry just shrugged, willing his annoying blush to stay away, before turning toward him, his treacherous eyes wasting no time in zoning in on the tantalising tease of flesh his tank was revealing. “Erm,” he began, quickly bringing his eyes up and hoping Louis hadn’t noticed his staring. “Shirts are just kinda my thing?”

“Well, they certainly suit you,” Louis smiled, his eyes trailing appreciatively over the other boy’s long body, paying special attention to the smooth skin of Harry’s chest that was on display, his shirt unbuttoned to mid chest. When Harry then bent to retrieve the last of his clothes, Louis caught a brief glimpse of a dusky nipple.

He also couldn’t help but notice the fact that Harry had several tattoos, some visible thanks to his rolled up shirt sleeves and a few more just peaking out through his open shirt. Louis found himself curious to discover them all, and not just because he had a thing for tattoos, his own body hosting some ink of its own.

There was no denying it, there was just something about Harry, which he found himself drawn to. He was sure they were going to get along famously this week.

~x~

Well damn, if Harry thought he was kinda keen on Louis before, he found himself drowning in it at the sight of the shorter brunet in just a pair of boardshorts, the silky smooth skin of his bare torso on display and his hair dripping wet against his head after he dove into the waves after their Frisbee, hundreds of beach goers soaking up the sun and surf around them.

“Oi, Harry, catch!” Niall yelled, before the Frisbee suddenly came hurtling towards his head. “Oh shit, Harry!”

With his attention having been preoccupied in ogling his new friend, Harry had failed in reacting in time, the plastic disc hitting him hard in the back of the head and knocking him right off his feet and into the wet sand.

“Harry? You alright, mate?” Louis was the first to reach him, leaning over his body, concern written all over his face as he kneeled in the sand.

Blinking stupidly, his head pounding, Harry just nodded, groaning as he propped himself up on his elbows. When his mind still carefully noted the way Louis’ water-darkened hair made his blue eyes pop even more, he knew he would be fine.

“’m alright, just zoned there for a minute,” he shrugged sheepishly.

“Sorry ’bout that,” Niall cringed, having reached them.

“It’s fine, it was all my own fault,” Harry was quick to assure him, as he sat up, his head spinning a bit.

“Always such a space cadet?” Louis smirked, reaching out a hand to help Harry up. Harry gratefully accepted, before being yanked a bit harder than his still unsteady balance could handle, sending him crashing right into Louis, the bare skin of their chests hitting with a damp _smack_.

“Er, no, just clumsy as fuck,” he blushed, nose having been rushed with the smaller brunet’s smell, a mixture between sunscreen, salty sea water and the hint of boy sweat which was all Louis and made his stomach flutter.

“So I’m learning,” Louis giggled, high-pitched and sweet, Harry feeling even more dazed than he had initially.

“You think you’re okay to keep going? Or should we rather just head back and see what the other two are up to, maybe get something to eat too?” Niall asked, squeezing Harry’s shoulder, guilt still clear on his face, as well as the pinkening beginnings of sunburn.

“Well, if you guys are having fun, I don’t wanna spoil that on account of me getting bumped on the noggin,” Harry said, self-consciously rubbing the smarting patch on his head.

“Eh, it’s no hassle, really. I’m pretty hungry actually,” Louis shrugged, rubbing his tummy, which Harry couldn’t help noting was toned and pretty much flat, except for the cute little bit of pudge above his shorts' waistband.

“Alrighty then, lets go stuff our faces!” Niall cheered happily and picked up the forgotten Frisbee, before heading off back towards where they’d set up their towels and things.

“You sure you’re alright, Harry?” Louis asked, hesitating some and only endearing himself all the more to Harry.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, honest,” Harry smiled, touched, his dimples popping and making Louis’ blue eyes twinkle brightly in response.

~x~

“Our first night on the town!” Liam yelled happily into the night, one arm around Zayn’s shoulder and the other around Niall’s, some of the partygoers around them cheering loudly in response along with their group.

The boys had all gotten primped and preened in some of their bests for their first night out on the town, the strip before them alight with various neon signs of all colours and packed with people looking for some fun and in various states of intoxication. Music was pouring from all the different bars and clubs and the sound of laughter and drunken chatter surrounded them. Everything was bright, busy and loud.

“Time to get wasted!” Niall laughed, leading the charge into the first bar of the night, their predrinks back at the hotel having begun their buzz, but now they wanted more.

“Oh my God, Li, they have bucket drinks! You lot better not throw your buckets away, that way we can make sandcastles on the beach tomorrow!” Zayn declared, already a couple shots ahead of the rest, childlike glee filling his eyes as he stared excitedly at the people passing them with their bucket drinks.

“’Course, babe, whatever you want,” Liam chuckled, kissing his boyfriend on the cheek before heading over to order some for their group, while the others managed to locate a free table in the packed bar.

“Oh yes, they have fishbowls!” Louis cheered excitedly, a pair of girls nearby all drinking with colourful straws from one.

“Wanna share one?” Harry suggested, pushing back some of his hair out of his face, those dimples of his popping when Louis enthusiastically nodded in response.

“Hells yeah!”

“Aww, but the buckets!” Zayn pouted disappointedly at them.

“Don’t worry, Zaynster, I’ll still have that too,” Luis winked, patting him on the back as he hopped up to stand. “And I promise you can have the bucket when I’m done.”

“Hey there.” Harry reluctantly tore his eyes away from the sway of Louis’ retreating arse as he went off to get that fishbowl, his long, black tank not doing much to disguise the curve of it in his skin-tight black skinny jean cut-offs, to look over at the girl who had approached him.

“Hi,” he smiled, taking in her pretty face, which was framed by lovely locks of red hair, like most of the rest of the girls around she was dressed in the absolute bare minimum.              

“I love your hair,” she said, reaching out to confidently stroke her hand through his wavy locks, while biting on her full bottom lip, her eyes dragging none too subtly down his body.

“Erm, yeah, well, you see–” Harry began, gently pushing her hand away, but was interrupted by the return of Niall and Liam.

“Hazza, what do we have here?” Niall asked, smacking a loud kiss to the side of his face and throwing an arm around him, one of the much sought after bucket drinks in his other hand.

“See, told you these’d be good,” Zayn grinned triumphantly when Liam handed him one of the drinks he’d bought, before slurping loudly from a straw in his bucket, Liam laughing affectionately and then pulling him in for a kiss.

“Oh. _Oh_ , wow, sorry. I didn’t know,” the girl quickly apologised, a bright blush heating her cheeks as she looked from Zayn and Liam’s heated kissing to Harry and Niall, the blond boy’s arm still wrapped around his friend.

Niall’s eyes quickly widened in understanding. “Wh-what? No, wai–”

Harry was quick to shut him up though, squeezing his arm and giving him a firm look. In response, Niall just laughed nervously and patted Harry on the chest.

“Yup, sorry, love,” he nodded, forced smile in place and all.

“Ah, nah, it’s alright. Sorry about that. Hope you guys have an awesome night,” she laughed sheepishly, before making her exit, just as Louis sat down, with his fishbowl and a pretty blonde girl on his arm.

“Aww where’d she go?” Louis asked, sitting down next to Harry, the blonde girl sitting down with him, as well as a brunette, who must have been her friend. “This is Amy and Lisa by the way,” he then added, introducing the two new additions to their group, as he set the fishbowl down in front of himself. “They’re from Yorkshire!”

“Hey,” the others all greeted them with nods of acknowledgement, Harry the least enthusiastic.

 _Figures,_ he thought, eyes unable not to notice that Louis’ hand was rested on the blonde’s – Amy’s – thigh. It was weird though, he rated his gaydar pretty good, and he’d sworn he’d gotten some vibes off Louis, but clearly he was just a really friendly bloke and not really into Harry in that sense.

Well then, clearly he had to get over this silliness he’d been struck with over Louis, ‘cause that was clearly never gonna happen. He tried his best to ignore the strange pang in his stomach at the realisation though. Naturally, the first time he finds himself kinda starting to fall for someone, he turns out to be straight.

“Got a purple straw especially for you, Har,” Louis grinned indicating the purple bendy straw in the bright red fishbowl, which was joined by a dozen other multi-coloured straws.

“Oh, wow, thanks, I love purple,” Harry said in surprise, unable to hold back a smile. Damn, why did he have to be so sweet though?

Louis just winked before leaning forward to drink from one of the blue straws, Amy using a yellow one and Lisa a green. Well, this certainly wasn’t how he’d imagined sharing a fishbowl with Louis would go, Harry thought with a disappointed sigh and leaned in to drink from the purple straw.

~x~

“You seen Louis anywhere?” Liam asked Harry, supporting an incredibly drunk Zayn, who even in his state was still managing to clutch onto his stacked collection of buckets that he’d managed to accumulate throughout the night.

“Erm, not for some time now, no,” Harry shrugged apologetically, none too sober himself, but then Liam wasn’t exactly either; at this point sobriety was judged by who was the least pissed.

The last he had seen Louis, the other boy had been sucking face and getting rather a bit publically indecent with Amy on the dance floor a club or two back now.

“Shit, I shouldn’t have let him out of my sight,” Liam cursed, as Harry pulled his club-sweaty hair up into a small bun.

“Sorry,” Zayn pouted apologetically from where he was clinging drunkenly to his boyfriend.

“Oh, babe, shh, it’s not your fault,” Liam assured him, pecking his forehead.

“Yeah, but, I shoulda look’d’fter him too,” Zayn said, looking annoyed with himself.

“Liam, why don’t you take Zayn back and Harry and I’ll look for Louis,” Niall suggested, patting Liam on the back and doing an amazing job at acting far more sober than he felt.

“Maybe he just went back with Amy?” Harry tried to suggest with a shrug, his mouth twisting a little at the thought.

“Nah, mate, he’d already moved onto another bird last I saw him, there’s no telling where he could be,” Niall sighed, shaking his head.

“Fuck,” Liam swore, “I’ve been really worried about him... I should have known something like this would happen. He just seemed okay lately, I thought... Ugh, fuck, obviously he wasn’t okay.”

“What’s up, Liam?” Harry asked, sensing from the others now at last that they were genuinely concerned about Louis.

“It’s just that...” Liam looked a bit reluctant to explain, but eventually decided Harry did deserve to know why they were all so worried. “See, Louis, up until recently was in a really serious relationship, they’d been together for four years or so. The thing with Louis is he doesn’t do things half-heartedly, he was really committed and even thought she could perhaps be ‘the one’, that is of course until he found out she’d been cheating – and quite regularly in fact.

“Worst is, she was the one that eventually came clean to him – blindsided him completely; he’d had no idea – and then left him for some guy she’d met at the gym... Let’s just say it hit him really hard, he’s been really self-destructive, but I’d thought he had gotten over the worst of it and that the holiday – getting away from everything – would do him some good. Fuck, I’m a shit friend.”

“Wow, really? He’s seemed totally fine – happy in fact – all day,” Harry said, eyebrows in his hair line. “And no, Liam, you’re not a shit friend, not even close.”

Sure, Harry had seen Louis drinking rather a lot during the course of the evening, that is until Harry had been distracted by the lips of a particularly sexy bloke from Devon he’d met on one of the dance floors, as the group began to disperse, but he hadn’t really thought too much of it. He’d thought that, just like pretty much everyone else here, Louis just wanted to get hammered, he hadn’t realised it all came from a place of hurt.

“Niall’s right though, you two should head back to the hotel, we’ll find Louis,” Harry insisted. “We’ll let you know when we find him.”

And so it was, the pair having split up, that Harry found himself wondering around the emptying streets, the bright neon lights of the buildings surrounding him starting to get turned off as the sky surrounding him began to lighten with the coming dawn. He would stop and ask all the drunken people slowly making their way back to their hotels if they had seen Louis, giving them all a description of him, but no one seemed to have. He even went around checking all the people who had passed out where they’d been partying, on benches and the sidewalks, without much luck.

He was beginning to give up hope when he suddenly spotted a familiar looking Vans trainer lying abandoned in the street, which matched the ones he’d seen Louis wearing that evening. He knew they were common shoes and it could belong to anyone, but he still picked it up in hope and looked around to find the owner, eventually managing to spot a human-shaped lump lying in a nearby gutter, the person’s one foot noticeably bare, separating them from the other few scattered blackout drunks.

“Oh God, please let it be him...” Harry muttered to himself, striding over to the gutter.

As soon as he saw the tell-tale black skinny jean cut-offs that he’d been admiring earlier, he knew he had his man, even if they were now dangerously low-slung, the elastic band of his Topman boxer shorts and a good deal of his bum in the rest of the white underwear on display, his tank also having ridden up a whole lot too. Harry would probably recognise that arse anywhere as well, what with the interest he’d taken in it all day.

“Shit, Louis,” Harry said stooping down to pull the smaller brunet up and consequently startling him awake.

“Unnnghh, uh, Harry?” he slurred, eyes blinking back blurrily as Harry helped support his deadweight, wrapping an arm around his waist to hold him up. He was hit with the strong smell of booze, cigarette smoke and sweat, yet still couldn’t find himself repulsed. Heck, he probably didn’t smell any better himself after a heavy night of partying.

“Yeah, Louis, it’s me,” he smiled in relief at having found him.

“S’you.” A look of utter relief seemed to wash over his features as he clung pathetically back onto Harry.

“Yup, c’mon let’s put your shoe on and tell Nialler where we’re at, yeah?” he suggested, helping him sit on a nearby bench and then shoving Louis’ shoe back on his bare foot, before he then sent a text to Niall.

“Ugh, d’n’t’feel t’good,” Louis began, and then suddenly managed to shoot up and rush back to the gutter, before dropping to his hands and knees and violently being sick.

“Oh, Louis...” Harry sighed, feeling sorry for him, but knowing there was nothing he could really do to help except stand by awkwardly and wait.

By the time Niall arrived, Louis was lying on his back on the pavement and looking pale as a sheet, an arm thrown over his eyes as he whimpered pitifully to himself.

“Jaysus, look at the state of ya,” Niall sighed, shaking his head in sympathy.

“Well, he seems to be done being sick for now at least, we should head back before sunrise,” Harry suggested, feeling all too sober now after having watched Louis miserably retch his guts out.

“Yeah, that’d be best,” Niall agreed and the two moved over to help Louis up and support him between the both of them.

“’m all nasty, sorry,” he apologised, feeling every bit the sorry sight he was, as they made off in the direction of their hotel.

“It’s alright, we’ve all been there,” Niall assured him. “I’ve dealt with a lot worse, you should’ve seen Harry at New Year’s a couple years ago.”

“Oi, you promised to keep my secret,” Harry grumbled, his cheeks heating despite the fact he knew he had no reason to feel embarrassed; he’d just watched Louis at his lowest, being sick into a gutter on his hands and knees, after having been yanked out of said gutter minus a shoe.

“I did no such thing,” Niall laughed, heaving Louis up a bit more when he felt like he was beginning to slip.

~x~

“Your hair looks good like that.” The rasped words caught Harry’s attention, prompting him to look over at a very sheepish and hungover looking Louis who rubbed a hand over his bare chest self-consciously, his fingers scratching through the sparse hair he had there.

When they’d eventually made it back to their hotel, he’d been sick some more, his black tank unfortunately not making it through unscathed, but now it hung out drying on their balcony after Harry had so kindly washed it, Louis having clumsily struggled to remove his contact lenses, Niall cringing as he’d watched on, before Louis had then proceeded to passed out for the count.

“Really? I just shove it up into a bun sometimes when it gets in the way,” Harry shrugged, running a hand over the smoothed back hair atop his head before lightly squeezing the knot of hair just below his crown. His hair really was starting to get very long. “Especially ‘cause it’s so bloody hot here.”

“You’ve got nice hair though,” Louis shrugged, before wincing and bringing a hand up to rub his stiff right shoulder.

“Thanks,” Harry nodded, trying to ignore the way Louis’ movement drew his eyes to that sweet scattering of hair between his pecs and the curling script he had tattooed there. “Do you remember much from last night?”

Louis shook his head. “’fraid not. At least not really. Like, I remember some bits,” he grimaced. “I’m so sorry you had to see me like that, let alone deal with it.”

“It’s, er, alright, I mean, I, uh, heard what happened and all – with you and your ex – it only makes sense, if you don’t mind me saying, that you’d maybe wanna let go a bit...”

At the mention of his ex, Louis felt a dull ache in his chest, the hurt far less though than it had been for as long as he could remember. He could still only shrug back helplessly though, not quite knowing how to respond. Clearly Liam or one of the others had told him.

“Um, the others are out by the pool, we’ve been taking it easy today, I think Zayn’s spent it all solely under an umbrella with his shades on - so much for building sandcastles. Do you maybe want something to eat?”

At the mention of food, Louis felt his stomach roil. Great, clearly today his body wasn’t about to play nice with him.

“Erm, I’ll wait till lunch, I think,” he said, moving to sit up, only to then have to hold his pounding head, his vision blurring.

“Lunch was about an hour ago actually...” Harry said, standing up to go fetch one of the bottles of water Liam had bought earlier for them, to give to Louis. “Here, you should at least try rehydrating.”

“Cheers,” Louis said thankfully, accepting the bottle before uncapping it and thirstily gulping from it, the plastic bottle crackling as it concaved in on itself.

After Louis had had a much needed shower and also gotten dressed into his boardshorts, the pair then headed off to the hotel’s pool to join the others.

True to Harry’s words, Zayn’s recliner was right under a large blue umbrella with the hotel’s logo on it, his sunglasses firmly in place. Liam lay beside him, stretched out lazily, the other nearby recliners empty and Niall nowhere in sight.

“Where’s Niall?” Harry asked spreading his towel neatly over the recliner between Liam’s and the one Louis haphazardly tossed his own towel over before collapsing face first onto with a groan.

“He’s made friends with a group of girls from Sweden, over there,” Liam replied with a chuckle, adjusting his snapback cap with one hand and pointing in their blond friend’s direction with the other. Niall could be seen fooling around in the pool with a group of pretty girls in bikinis.

“Nice,” Harry laughed, shrugging his unbuttoned shirt off, Louis yanking his tank off behind him, before folding it up into a makeshift pillow and faceplanting again.

“You two should put some sun cream on, or your pale as fuck skin will burn to a crisp,” Zayn said, tossing a bottle at Harry, his hangover showing in his extra bitchy mood.

“Thanks, Zayny,” Harry laughed, Liam prodding his grumpy boyfriend in his sensitive ribs and earning a slap for his efforts.

As Harry began to spread the white cream over his arms, Louis’ head turned so he could face him and watch him lazily out of one of his pretty blue eyes, preventing Harry’s own eyes’ lazy trail down his bare back. _Who the fuck knew backs could be sexy, since when was Harry even into that?_

“I’ll do your back if you do mine?” Louis suddenly suggested, his words echoing exactly what Harry was thinking about.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” he nodded, before moving to sit on the edge of his recliner to get a better angle and squirted some of the white sunscreen over Louis’ back, doing his absolute best not to let his mind take the imagery _there_.

“Hmmm,” Louis hummed, folding his arms in front of himself so that he could rest his face against his forearms, as Harry got to work spreading the sunscreen. The shift of position gave Harry a sneaky peak at the curve between Louis’ upper arm and side, some of his dark underarm hair visible.

Louis’ skin felt impossible soft and silky, already heated from the sun beating down on them, under his hands and he found himself perhaps taking longer than he probably should, spreading and rubbing the sunscreen into his firm back muscles. As his hands worked, his eyes followed the smooth line of Louis’ back, it sloping downwards after his shoulder blades before curving up into the swell of that phenomenal arse.

“Hmm, don’t suppose you’ll do the back of my legs too maybe?” Louis asked, voice coming out a little deeper than usual, his muscles relaxing into his towel and the recliner beneath him.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” he nodded, even though he knew Louis couldn’t see him, before squirting some more sunscreen onto his palms and moving onto those legs, which he soon found out felt just as good as he’d expected. He only wished Louis’ swim shorts were as short as his, so he’d have an excuse to get his hands on those thighs properly.

“We’re gonna go get some more drinks and maybe snacks, you two want anything?” Liam announced, Zayn and him standing up suddenly just as Harry had finished.

“A Coke or something would be great, thanks,” he nodded thankfully, moving to sit back properly on his recliner, Louis not stirring.

“Did he... did he actually fall asleep?” Liam asked with a loud laugh, the three of them watching the gentle rise and fall of Louis’ bare back.

“Oi, Louis! You’ve done enough napping for one day, mate,” Niall said, suddenly popping up out of nowhere, shaking his wet hair over him and making the other boy groan awake.

“Ugh, don’t you dare get me wet,” Zayn grumbled, stepping back. Niall just laughed and moved to pretend to try hug the taller boy, who moved to hide behind Liam for protection. “I’m serious, Niall!”

“Okay, okay, sheesh it’s just a little pool water,” he laughed, unwinding the towel from around his waist to dry his hair a bit with it.

“You suck, Niall,” Louis grumbled with a frown and moved to sit up, hair mussed up at the front and pink creases from his folded tank pressed into his face.

“Eh, you love me,” Niall laughed, looping the towel around his neck now. “Anyway, I came over to ask Hazza to please put some sunscreen on my back too – that is if he doesn’t mind?”

“Yeah, sure,” Harry said, getting up and moving to squeeze some sunscreen onto Niall now, before quickly, but thoroughly coating his back with it.

“Thanks, Hazza, you’re the best!”

“Well, we’re off now, be back soonish. We’ll just bring everyone a Coke and whatever we can find to munch on,” Liam said, him and Zayn then heading off back inside.

“You two maybe wanna come and join me with the hot Swedes?” Niall then suggested, pointing his thumb behind his back in round about their direction, the group all in the shallow end of the large pool’s azure water. Harry just raised an eyebrow at his friend. “Okay, yeah, I know you’re not into girls and all, but they’re a blast! Mad as a box of frogs the lot!”

“Eh, maybe later, I just wanna laze around here a bit more before I get into the water,” he shrugged apologetically, scratching behind his ear.

“Yeah, I’m also gonna stay, gotta keep Harold here some company, plus I owe him for spreading sun cream on my back, a deal’s a deal after all,” Louis said, his eyes on Harry’s fairly pale skin.

“Alrighty, suit yourselves, well I’m off then,” he winked, a wide grin on his face as he dropped his towel, and then ran over to jump into the pool with a big splash, before swimming over to his group of laughing and cheering Swedes.

“So, I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t quite give Niall the same sun cream spreading treatment as you gave me,” Louis then smirked, accepting the sunscreen bottle from Harry.

“Well, uh, he was in a hurry, I didn’t wanna keep him away from those girls longer than I had too,” Harry defended himself, feeling his cheeks heat, before startling slightly with surprise when Louis got up and suddenly plopped down to straddle his recliner behind him.

“ _Sure_ ,” Louis giggled, but before Harry could say anything else, he suddenly had strong hands spreading cool sunscreen over his heated shoulders and back, making his head lull forward blissfully as he hummed to himself, Louis’ fingers proving to be gifted.

Louis found himself distracted from conversation then too, Harry’s warm skin supple and smooth beneath his hands, his fine muscling easy to feel out. Fuck, but Harry was sexy and Louis was finding the fact increasingly difficult to ignore.

“Whoa, I get why you nodded off there,” Harry murmured, body literally turning to putty beneath the smaller brunet’s magical hands.

“Ah-huh, but my body feels absolutely wrecked from last night, so it was unsurprisingly amazing,” Louis replied, his fingers having abandoned their task now that all the sunscreen was rubbed in, to instead just give in and knead his thumbs beneath the base of Harry’s neck. The happy hums he was making too sweet to put an end to.

“Passing out in a gutter will do that to a person,” Harry grunted, Louis having found a knot in his shoulder to knead out.

“Ugh, don’t remind me, I’m still pretty mortified you found me like that,” he admitted, his eyes taking in the way the little wisps of Harry’s hair at the nape of his neck, which didn’t quite fit into his bun, curled sweetly.

“Eh, it’s alright, don’t stress over it,” Harry giggled, stretching his back and shoulders out with a soft _click_ when Louis eventually abandoned his impromptu massage.

“Wanna stand or lie down so I can do your legs too?” Louis helpfully offered, eyeing up Harry’s slender, long legs with their dusting of fine, dark hair.

“Oh, uh, I’ll just stand,” he replied, surprised by the offer, hopping up onto his feet, before giggling loudly when Louis wasted no time in grabbing one of his thighs to coat it in sunscreen.

“You got ticklish thighs?” Louis more stated than really asked, his own, high-pitched, giggle joining Harry’s as he attempted to rub in the cream.

“Hush, don’t go shouting out my weak spots to the world,” Harry laughed, shaking him off and just finishing the job himself, Louis rolling on Harry’s towel and cackling with laughter.

Harry then picked up the sunscreen to rub some onto his chest and then face, Louis managing to calm down enough to follow his lead, his eyes trailing up Harry’s abs appreciatively in the process, before his eyebrows scrunched briefly.

“What?” Harry asked having just caught the brief frown on his face when he’d looked at Harry, his face at about the same height as his abdomen in his seated position.

“I don’t mean to offend you, but is that a third nipple?” Louis asked curiously, making Harry’s cheeks heat a bit, but he was pleased to see Louis also looked a little sheepish.

“Um, yeah? I actually have four,” he shrugged, using his index fingers to point at both his two extra ones, Louis having missed the smallest. He’d never been particularly fussed over them and wasn’t about to start now.

“Awesome! That’s pretty cool! Um, this is weird, I know, but could I...?” Louis’ eager response came as a bit of a surprise though, and he just found himself nodding at his hesitantly raised hand.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” he shrugged with a laugh.

“Wait, I don’t want you to think I’m a weirdo,” Louis suddenly said halting his hand just before he could brush a finger against the one he’d first spotted.

“Bit late for that, mate,” Harry laughed, Louis pouting back at him in response, before suddenly striking out and squeezing Harry’s thigh just above his knee, causing him to spasm and unleash a loud squeal of laughter.

“Hey, no fair!” he objected, batting the now madly giggling Louis’ hands away. “Already taking advantage of my weakness.”

“Aww, I’m sorry,” Louis giggled, withdrawing his attack. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll tell you where I’m super ticklish.”

“Oh, yeah? I’m listening,” Harry said looking down at Louis.

“It’s pretty predictable: my armpits,” he laughed with a shrug and stood up off Harry’s recliner.

“Duly noted,” Harry replied, swallowing, the two of them now in awfully close proximity, bare chests mere inches apart.

“Here, you missed a spot,” Louis then said, suddenly reaching a hand out to gently but firmly swipe his thumb across Harry’s cheekbone to get rid of the white line of sunscreen that he hadn’t managed to rub in, the taller brunet subconsciously leaning into the touch, their eyes locked.

“We return baring gifts!” Liam suddenly announced, him and Zayn joining them again, and just like that whatever glimpse of a moment they were having was put to an abrupt end.

“Please tell me you found some decent snacks?” Louis asked, stepping away from Harry to go check the bag Liam had dumped on his recliner.

“Only the best!” Liam nodded, Harry’s eyes following after Louis and lingering on that bum of his when he bent to search through the bag.

“Fuck,” he whispered to himself. This was not good, why couldn’t he just get over this silly thing for Louis and find some actual action? He’d certainly caught eyes with a few blokes earlier on after all. This was just hopeless.

~x~

“Loving the black shirt with the white polka dots, you keen on spots then?” Louis asked Harry, feeling far more chipper since his hangover had left him, tugging on a lock of his curly dark hair.

It was their second night out and about on the strip, the lads deciding to stick together tonight (and not let Louis out of sight, despite him promising no repeats of the previous night), plus Niall’s new friends in the group of Swedish girls, the lot of them and him leading their little party.

“They’re alright, yeah. Love patterns – keeps things interesting,” Harry laughed, playfully pushing Louis away, Liam quick to grab him and give him a noogie.

“Oi! Stop!” Louis complained struggling away from Liam. “Dammit, Liam, and I took ages on me hair!”

“Doesn’t look very different to me, maybe only a little messier,” Liam pointed out, making Louis roll his eyes.

“Forgive him, he doesn’t quite get hair,” Zayn shook his head, ruffling Liam’s hair now too. “Let’s not forget he had it cropped short most of last year.”

“Hey, you said you liked it!” Liam pouted at his boyfriend, but Zayn only shrugged.

“I mean, it wasn’t awful, but I do prefer having something I can actually grab onto...”

“Alrighty, enough of that,” Louis laughed, waving his hand for them to stop, not at all keen on hearing about his friends’ sex life. He’d certainly had to hear enough of it first hand back home before he bought those fancy headphones with his birthday/Christmas money.

“You’re just jealous, Lou, ‘cause you aren’t getting any regularly.” As soon as the words had left his mouth, Zayn instantly regretted them, having momentarily forgotten himself. His and Liam’s eyes widened in preparation for Louis’ reaction as Zayn quickly said, ”Shit, I’m so sorry, Louis. I wasn’t thinking. Honest, I didn’t me–”

To their surprise, Louis just waved his hand in a dismissive motion. “Relax, Zayn. It’ alright, and besides, it’s time I just get over it.”

“Alright then,” Zayn nodded, squeezing Louis shoulder.

“Now, Harry, I don’t suppose you’ll share another fishbowl with me?” Louis then asked, effectively changing topic, Zayn groaning even at the mention of alcohol.

It was little surprise that, after the shocker of a hangover he’d had all day, Zayn had offered to take it easy tonight and help guide their drunken arses back to the hotel at the end of the night. If he had his way he’d be sticking to Redbull or Coke all evening.

In response to Louis’ question, Harry just raised a sceptical eyebrow.

“Aww, c’mon, please? I’ll pay for it and I’ll even let you pick the flavour and everything?”

Harry could never say no to Niall’s big puppy dog eyes begging him and it turned out Louis’ were just as effective on him, for Harry soon found himself sat at a table in one of the bars, sharing a bright blue concoction in a fishbowl with a rather pleased Louis. Zayn sat with them, but had his attention focused on the bar, where Liam was stupidly trying to out drink Niall and his Swedish friends with the half price shot special.

Encouraged by the others’ stupidity, Harry and Louis engaged in a little competition themselves to see who could finish their fishbowl first, the loser to buy the next one, both pulling faces at the other as they greedily drank from their colourful bendy straws, Harry even going so far as to drink from a whole bunch at a time.

“This won’t end well,” Zayn grumbled, suffering the curse of being the only sober one in a room full of drunks, before taking a sip of his Coke.

~x~

Harry awoke slowly, his back feeling overheated, something hot and solid up against it and another heated weight circling from his middle and up to his chest, hot puffs of air being huffed against the sweat-dappled skin at the nape of his neck. His eyes cracked open, his head throbbing dully as bright light filtered in to him from the open window in front of him, a slight breeze blowing through.

Eyebrows scrunching a bit in confusion, his sleepy green eyes dropped down to note the heated weight over his middle and pressed up against his chest was an arm, its hand resting flat against his left pec. It didn’t take much for him to realise whose arm it was, the tattooed bird he recognised on the forearm immediately giving Louis away.

Scratching around in his aching head, he tried to remember how he’d found himself in this position, so clearly in Louis’ bed, given the fact they were next to the window – a fact he was grateful for as the other boy felt like a furnace against his back. It had something to do with a lack of beds and too many people...

To be honest he didn’t really care, his current position bringing a sleepy smile to his tired and hungover features, just as Louis’ fingers twitched in his sleep against the bare skin of Harry’s chest. At some point, dancing in one of the clubs he recalled, he’d undone all his shirt’s buttons and they’d remained so. Oh well, at least this way Louis got to touch one of his nipples, even if he was fast asleep, Harry thought, his nose snorting softly with amusement.

Of course, as these things always tend to, just as he was settling back down and about to drift back off to continue his dreaming, Harry was struck with a twinge in his bladder, it having woken up now too and deciding that he needed to pee with the desperation of a pregnant racehorse.

“Umgh,” he grumbled irritably, before trying to carefully pry himself free of Louis’ hold without waking him, their legs and feet even having gotten tangled up. When Louis then made a sweet little whine, smiling, Harry quickly shoved his pillow towards him as a space holder, the shorter brunet quick to snuggle up against it.

“Naww, who would’ve thought he was such a snuggler?” Harry murmured to himself, while peeling his shirt away from where it was sticking to his back with sweat, so he could fan himself with it and cool down a little. “Never mind so hot. Literally.”

Still smiling a bit to himself, Harry turned to face the rest of the room, his smile only growing. Oh, yes, he remembered properly now. Somewhere along the line and in his drunken state, Liam had managed to lose his and Zayn’s room’s key card and with reception not about to replace a missing card at 4am, they’d been left with no other choice than to bunk with them. Of course Niall had also brought back the Swedish girl he’d eventually managed to score with, so his bed had already been too full, leaving Harry to give up his bed and share with Louis (which of course he hadn’t argued much about).

Looking at the sleeping couple spooning now, he just hoped they hadn’t had sex in his bed... Luckily, he remembered Zayn being furious with his boyfriend over the missing key card, so hopefully he’d rejected any advances Liam may have made.

Passing Niall’s bed, all Harry could really see were tufts of blonde poking up from the top of the duvet, Niall and the girl’s feet sticking out at the other end. He then helped himself to the bathroom, kicking the door more or less shut behind him before finally relieving himself with a grateful sigh.

Bladder now blissfully empty, he made quick work of washing his hands and then padded off back to Louis’ bed. Before he clambered back on though, he decided to just ditch his sweat-clingy shirt, what with it already undone and only just hanging onto his shoulders still.

Already feeling cooler, he climbed right back into the bed, after snatching back his pillow for his head. It didn’t take long before he felt Louis snuggle up against him again, this time even throwing a leg over his as well as his right arm, his face nuzzling in against the base of his hairline and his soft little breaths once more huffing against Harry’s skin. Harry fell asleep in no time.

~x~

A loud knocking sound startled Louis awake, his cheek smushed up against incredibly warm skin, which made him startle even more, resulting in him sitting up quickly and using the back of his hand to wipe away the drool at his mouth. His eyes then moved from the shiny wet patch he’d left on the soft skin to take in the sight of a the broad, bare back he’d been snuggled up against; a back that could only belong to Harry.

Forgetting all about the persistent knocking sound, which was coming from their bedroom door he realised, he instead took in the sight of a very sleep-rumpled Harry blinking and stirring with a loud yawn and stretch of lovely long limbs. Naturally then he also became aware of the fact that he was suffering from a common morning issue in the form of a semi in his boxers.

Cheeks heating, he was quick to ensure the duvet tactfully remained over his crotch, as he then looked to the rest of the room. Zayn was grumbling about the disturbance as he cuddle closer against Liam who was still sleeping like the dead, while Niall’s duvet moved about some, but showed no real sign of him getting up.

“Guess I’ll get it then,” Harry said, his voice especially gruff and lower than usual from sleep.

“Er, thanks,” Louis said, glancing back, hoping his blush wasn’t too obvious – he could hardly answer the door sporting a boner after all – as Harry got up, scratching lazily at the little trail of hair below his navel.

Harry just smiled sleepily back at Louis and nodded, before heading off to the door, Louis’ eyes taking in his long limbs and the way his bun was all loose, tendrils of his wavy hair escaping, and of course paid extra attention to the fact that Harry was only wearing his black boxer briefs, which were slung awfully low and clinging closely to his cute little bum. He had such a lovely, long body, Louis just couldn’t help himself from staring, toned and deceptively strong, yet also still sweet and soft in places like the bit of pudge he had curving at his hips, which Louis found himself now with the urge to squeeze and nip at.

Louis crossed his right leg over the left under the duvet, the sight of the taller brunet definitely not at all helping with his morning wood.

“Hullo?” Harry then said, opening the door at last. From his view point Louis could just see the pretty blonde girl on the other side of the door.

“Hi, sorry to be bothering you, but I’ve come to collect Elsa – we are going on boat trip today and need to leave soon,” she said, smiling at Harry, who stepped back to allow her to enter.

“Oi, Niall! Elsa’s gotta go, mate!” Harry called out loudly with a grin, clearly suppressing a laugh, Niall popping up, his blond hair all over the place, before she did too, her hair not much better off.

The boys then watched on as the two girls had a rather quick muttering to one another in Swedish, before Elsa got out of the bed in just her underwear to pick her dress up off the floor and then slip it on.

“See you tonight?” Elsa then asked Niall, the blond boy getting up, also only in his underwear.

“Definitely,” he nodded enthusiastically, prompting her to giggle before she gave him a quick kiss and then, both girls giving Harry a thankful smile, they made their leave.

“Naww, look at that face!” Harry then laughed, knocking the door shut with his foot, his eyes not leaving the goofy smile on his best mate’s face.

Niall just laughed back and shrugged, cheeks turning rosy, before he then went into the bathroom and shut the door behind himself.

“We should really do something today too,” Zayn suddenly suggested, sitting up a little in Harry’s bed, Liam still not stirring beside him. “We never even went to the beach yesterday, what a waste...”

“Yeah, we should...” Harry nodded, before wandering back over to Louis’ bed, the other boy awkwardly shifting a bit to make space for him to lie back down. “What do you have in mind though?” he asked, shooting Louis a grateful smile and snuggling back under the duvet beside him, the single bed a close fit.

“Can we go try out the banana boats?!” Niall suddenly asked, appearing from the loo, as he wiped his hands dry on the sides of his white boxer briefs.

“Oh, yeah, they look awesome!” Louis agreed, believing he’d finally gotten his... situation under control, as he lay back down on his back, Harry lying on his side beside him.

“I’m keen,” Harry grinned, still able to feel Louis’ body heat despite the small gap between them now.

“Well then, it’s settled,” Zayn nodded with a big yawn, as he then slid out of bed, also only in a pair of boxer briefs. “I’ll go see how we can book for it, after I’ve gotten a new key card to my room.” At that his eyes narrowed at his still peacefully sleeping boyfriend.

~x~

“Uh, sorry about crowding you in the bed,” Louis whispered apologetically to Harry.

Zayn had managed to land them a go on a banana boat in the end, their group having headed down to the beach after a late breakfast. Now, as they were clipping on their life jackets, was the first time Louis had gotten Harry more or less to himself, in order to express what had been bothering him since waking up literally plastered to the taller brunet.

“It’s just, well, uh, the past few years I’ve only ever shared a bed with, er, my ex. I guess some habits are hard to break...” he said, cheeks feeling warm, as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, watching on as Harry did the last clip to fasten his jacket, before tucking the cross pendant he wore inside it.

“Oh, uh, don’t worry about it,” Harry shrugged, a kind smile on his face. “It was no big deal.”

This of course was a complete lie; it was one. Even after having a shower, Harry could still smell Louis on his skin, something he had realised he could worryingly get very used to. The fact that he could distinguish Louis’ smell also did not go amiss to him. Despite his best efforts, Harry was still falling, even though he knew it was all futile.

Louis just smiled gratefully back, before heading over to join an overly eager Niall who had already gone off to mount the giant banana shaped inflatable raft.

“C’mon, Haz, this is sure to be a blast!” Liam grinned, thumping him on the back as he and Zayn made their way over to the raft too, prompting Harry to get moving too. Clearly the extra greasy breakfast they’d had had helped go a long way for the killer hangover Liam had eventually woken to.

“Hazza, c’mon, sit behind me!” Niall grinned, happily seated up at the front, Louis shifting back a bit more in response to make space for Harry in front of him.

He smiled gratefully in turn, sidling up behind Niall and grabbing hold of the handle straps in front of him, as Liam clambered on behind Louis and Zayn behind him.

“You think you can hang on?” Louis’ words brushed up against the back of his neck, making Harry smile as he shook his head.

“’Course, I plan on being the last one standing – well, sitting,” Harry laughed, looking over his shoulder at Louis’ grinning face, his blue eyes twinkling with challenge.

“We’ll see about that, you’ll be tough beat to out do me, I had a lot of practice at this last summer with my sister and mum – Lottie was addicted.”

“You have a sister?” Harry asked, genuinely interested.

“Yup, I have five, as well as a brother,” Louis shrugged, before laughing when Harry’s eyes just about popped out of his head in response. “And you?”

“Uh, yeah, but only one, Gemma, and no brothers,” Harry nodded, trying to compose himself again.

“Ah, that where the ‘g’ on your right shoulder comes in, because of her?” Louis asked curiously, looking pointedly at the ink he could just make out on the shoulder turned toward him.

“Yeah, I got it in honour of her... How’d you know?”

“Good guess,” Louis shrugged. “Wow, I’d be littered with letters if I started getting tattoos for all my siblings,” he said making them both laugh, as well as Liam and Zayn who’d caught the last of their conversation.

“Okay, the boat driver wants to know if he can start, you lot ready?” Niall then said, twisting around to address them all, he’d been chatting away to the man who was going to tow their banana boat.

“Ready!” Liam grinned, the others all laughing and nodding their agreement, as they all then grabbed hold of their handles and dug their legs and feet in properly, while Niall informed the boat driver up ahead.

At first, Harry couldn’t understand how people fell off these things so easily, it wasn’t really that hard; until of course it suddenly was, the banana boat picking up some serious speed, water splashing past them and making things slippery.

The sound of the boys laughing and yelling with the exhilaration of it all rang out loudly, the banana boat bouncing wildly over the rushing waves. When it suddenly leaned off to the right, the boat doing a U-turn, Niall lost his grip and went flying off into the water with a shout.

“There goes Niall!” Louis announced loudly with a high-pitched laugh, a blond hair of head bobbing up left behind them, Niall laughing loudly too. “And there goes Zayn!” Louis added, glancing back over his shoulder as the taller boy also lost his grip and went sailing off to join Niall.

“You are taking way too much joy in them falling!” Harry pointed out, shaking his head with a laugh.

“What can I say, I’m competitive,” he replied, his warm breath hitting Harry’s skin contrasting a lot with the cool air blowing past them. His momentary state of distraction getting the better of him as their banana boat then bounced over a particularly strong wave, caused Harry to get bumped right off and sent crashing into the azure water with a surprised shout of his own.

Coughing and spluttering a bit on the salty seawater, Harry’s lifejacket ensured he didn’t have to do much in resurfacing, which was a good thing as he found his face covered by his clinging, dripping wet hair, which he used his hands to part like curtains and throw back. Just in time too as he just managed to make out the sight of Louis going crashing backwards into the waves now himself with a cut off shout of “WANKER!” before Liam soon followed, the boats then slowing down.

Louis then emerged from the waves, spitting out a fountain of water and shaking his hair out of his face, sending water flying everywhere.

“Oi! You cheated! You can’t just shove me off!” he then shouted as Liam popped up too, shaking out his own hair and laughing loudly, unrepentant, as the boats made their way back over to pick everyone up.

He made it up then by helping to give Louis a boost in climbing back on the inflatable banana raft, before he helped yank him back on in turn, the two laughing with each other now as the boat came over toward Harry.

“Hey, Harold, enjoy your dip?” Louis then asked when they reached him, stretching out a hand to him.

“Did you?” Harry just asked with a chuckle, taking in the way a soaking wet Louis looked, his brown hair darker and long fringe slicked back, as he accepted his help and scrambled back on in front of him.

“I hope you lot realise we’re definitely going again,” Liam laughed happily before stretching over to help Zayn aboard once more.

“Obviously, I can’t believe I fell off so early!” Zayn grumbled.

“At least you weren’t the first,” Harry laughed.

“Oi! I heard that, Styles!” Niall shouted, the boats now reaching him. “I challenge you all to a rematch!”

In the end, after a few more rounds, the group had to agree that both Liam and Louis were easily the best, as they all set about freeing themselves of the lifejackets and drying off with their towels.

“It’s all because of their legs, they have the advantage of thicker thighs,” Niall concluded, shaking his head to the left in an attempt to get the trapped water out of his ear.

“I think you mean ‘muscled’ thighs,” Liam corrected, using his towel to dry off one of his afore mentioned ‘muscled’ thighs, Zayn laughing loudly beside him and giving his other one a pat.

Naturally Harry felt pretty similarly, sneaking an ogle at Louis’ strong thighs, while he was preoccupied with towelling his hair dry, and once more wishing Louis wore shorter swim shorts like he himself did.

“Yeah, well, I’m certainly gonna have to do a whole lot more squats then,” Niall laughed, now having switched ears. “Especially if I want an arse like Lou.”

Louis just rolled his eyes, while the others all burst into laughter. Clearly, Harry thought, he wasn’t the only one who’d noticed.

“Oi, don’t be such a grump, Lou. You just gotta know you have it, if even the straight blokes notice,” Liam said giving his best mate’s bum a slap for emphasis.

“Don’t touch what you can’t afford, Payno,” Louis said swatting his hand away, no longer able to keep his smile at bay.

“Ooh, look at you now,” Liam laughed, the others all joining in.

~x~

Night three saw the lads all dressing up wacky, as was the evening’s theme, all five dressing up in tank tops and neon coloured tutus over their boxers, covered in glitter and with headbands with light up baubles in the shape of things like hearts, balls and stars. When they’d heard on the beach that one of the main clubs was having a costume night, Niall had insisted they take part and go to a local costume store.

“I still can’t believe dressing up as fairies was Niall’s idea, you sure you’re straight, mate?” Liam asked, frowning at his pink tutu, their group walking off to the club. Even after a healthy go at predrinks, Liam was still having doubts. Naturally the others had also insisted he wear the bright pink tutu with a light up heart headband.

“It’s got nothing to do with gay or straight, Zayn had to bribe you – someone who’s openly gay – into your tutu after all,” Niall said with a laugh, jumping up with a skip and twirl in his own green tutu, his little shamrock baubles bobbing with the movement.

“Lighten up, babe,” Zayn laughed throwing an arm around his boyfriend and smacking a loud, messy kiss on his cheek. Even he had taken some convincing (and rather a few shots of vodka) to agree to wearing his own bright orange tutu and matching heart baubles.

“Well Zayn’s already pissed,” Louis laughed, adjusting his star shaped baubles, bright blue tutu swaying with his movements.

“Hey, I’m not,” Zayn argued, before tripping up a bit on the pavement when they crossed the street. “Hush,” he then grumbled with a pout at the others’ resulting laughter.

Inside the club was packed, everyone dressed up just as ridiculously, from superheroes to animals and cartoon charters and everything in between, as much flesh as possible on show, drinks flowing and the loud music pumping.

“See, Liam, there’s a load of blokes in dresses!” Harry pointed out, proudly wearing his own purple skirt and round baubles, and patted the stockier boy on the shoulder, as a group walked past them complete with colourful wigs.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I need a drink,” he grumbled leading the way to the bar.

~x~

“Oi, Harold! Where you running off to?!” Louis called after him, jogging to catch up.

Liam and Zayn had long since disappeared off back to their hotel room, anything but sleep on their minds, while Niall had gone to meet up with Elsa and her friends. Louis had therefore more or less decided to take it upon himself to keep an eye out for Harry. It was only a means to say thank you for helping him on the first night of course...

The tall brunet had been having a blast, dancing away madly with a group of random friends he’d made and drinking far more than he had the previous nights. That wasn’t to say Louis hadn’t been partying it up himself, he’d danced and drank as much as the rest of them, but was sure to not let Harry dance off too far from sight. So when he’d spotted Harry making his way out of the club, he’d followed.

“Needed some fresh air,” Harry replied, his right hand holding his hair bunched up atop his head, his round bauble headband having been lost to one of the many people he’d danced with, while he stepped over a guy who’d passed out on the pavement.

“And where’re you headed now to, then?” Louis asked with an affectionate smirk, Harry using his empty hand to lift his white tank top and shake it out in an attempt to cool down, as he too then stepped over the sleeping drunk.

“The beach, I think... Wanna come with?” Harry asked, looking back at Louis with a drunkenly goofy smile, dimples on display and sweat-dampened skin shining in the nearby lights.

“Yeah, sure,” Louis laughed with a nod, only too happy to follow the other boy as they headed off towards the beach.

“It’s so nice, so much calmer at night out here,” Harry said when they eventually hit the sand and were now carrying their shoes, their bare feet crunching against the sand, spinning around slowly with his arms out and letting his long hair hang loose about him, flushed face up to the starry sky.

“Uh, yeah, I guess...” Louis nodded distractedly, eyes more interested in taking in the smooth movement of Harry’s long body, his clinging tank having been left rucked up around his middle, Louis able to make out his lower abs, including those lovely V-lines and his cute, little love handles he was becoming increasingly captivated by, thanks to his low slung boxers and ridiculous purple tutu.

“Well, c’mon then, lets go get our feet wet at least!” Harry called loudly, voice full of glee, as he broke out into drunken run, but then accidentally tripped over his own feet and fell face first into the sand, a couple foot out from the shoreline.

“Shit, you okay, Harry?!” Louis asked, sprinting over, but Harry just rolled out onto his back and laughed, wavy hair spread out beneath him like a messy halo.

“Wow, you should lie down and look at the stars with me, Lou. They look amazing from here!” Harry said, smiling back at the other boy’s confused face.

“You’re mad, you know?” Louis chuckled with a shake of his head, but lay down beside him nonetheless. He then looked up at the sky above them and had to admit the twinkling stars were indeed very pretty, yet he still found he’d rather tilt his head to the side to look at Harry instead, the happy crinkle of his eyes and wide smile lighting his face up much like the stars were the sky.

Come to think of it, he realised, he’d spent a great deal of – if not all of – the night watching Harry. Much like, in his odd moment of drunken clarity, he realised Harry had been doing to him most of the holiday. He’d just been trying to ignore it, as well as how he himself felt around Harry.

It was stupid though, the way he felt. Sure he was attracted to Harry, he was kind, funny and undeniably gorgeous, but what could he give him in return? He’d not too long ago just come out of a serious relationship, which had served to destroy a lot of the beliefs he’d held in regards to commitment. And what if he were to try anything with Harry? Well it would definitely be high risk; the fact that they shared good friends ensured that things would be complicated.

And besides, if he’d learnt anything about Harry over the past few days, it was that he was more of a carefree spirit and didn’t exactly come across as someone who really wanted to deal with anything too serious. And if Louis had learnt anything about _himself_ these past two months, despite his best efforts at being happy with sleeping around and having several flings, it was that he wasn’t the sort of person who could be satisfied with anything meaningless.

“What’re you thinking about so seriously?” Harry’s voice asked, snapping him out of his thoughts, his head now turned so that he could look back at Louis, before he reached out a finger to smooth out the little crinkle between his eyebrows.

“You.” The word just slipped out; perhaps it was because he’d had a lot to drink or maybe because subconsciously he was just tired of playing coy.

“Me?” Harry asked, a goofy smile spreading across his face, as he now propped himself up on his left forearm.

“Yeah,” Louis nodded, propping himself up too now, a little giggle escaping him at Harry’s goofy grin, his dark, wavy hair framing his face and cute dimples on display.

Warm green eyes met troubled blue, their faces so close now they could feel the warmth of other’s breath tickle them, Louis’ glowing star baubles lighting up both their glitter-smeared faces with artificial light. Louis’ eyes dropped briefly to Harry’s fuller lips, before looking back up just in time to see Harry lean in.

Their lips met in a chaste brush, Louis’ eyes falling shut as he began to lean forward too, when suddenly Harry abruptly pulled away and left his lips now being met with empty air instead, eyes shooting back open and body wobbling as he had to pull himself back.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Harry apoloised, clumsily sitting up hurriedly. “I’m drunk, I wasn’t thinking. I’m so sorry.” Louis looked back on in confusion, Harry’s green eyes wide and hands covering his mouth.

“What? Why? You don’t need to be sorry,” Louis said, sitting up just as inelegantly. His lips were all tingly now and stomach aflutter. There definitely was something about Harry Styles and that kiss, however small it may have been, had definitely shown him he was starting to think it’d be worth it to take a chance on him.

“I do! You’re straight! You don’t want me going about kissing you!” Harry argued, having worked himself into quite a state, his cheeks aflame with embarrassment. “And now I’ve just gone and fucked up our new friendship.”

“Harry, you’ve done no such thing,” Louis was quick to assure him, reaching out a hand to lift Harry’s head up, making him look back at him again. “Also, I’m, er, not straight – at least not exactly. I’m bi.”

“Bi?” Harry asked in confusion, looking back at Louis like his head had just turned into a carrot.

“Yes, bi. I’m attracted to both sexes?” Louis nodded, an awkward smile curling his lips.

“A-and you don’t mind that I kissed you?” Harry asked, raising a dubious eyebrow.

“’Course not,” Louis assured him.

“This is silly, you’re drunk. I’m drunk...”

“Harry, a part of me has kinda been wanting to kiss you since the moment I met you.”

“What, all of two days ago?” Harry asked, only for Louis to roll his eyes and playfully shove him. In his drunkenly floppy state though, Harry nearly ended up toppling right over into the sand again, but luckily just managed to catch himself with a laugh.

“Don’t pretend you haven’t too,” Louis then said, raising an eyebrow. “I’ve caught you staring at my arse on more than one occasion.”

“Cocky,” Harry pointed out, his cheeks heating, but didn’t deny it.

“You have no idea,” Louis shot back, waggling his eyebrows, before they both just dissolved into giggles.

“That was awful,” Harry pointed out, shaking his head, but then leaned forward to kiss a still tipsily giggling Louis again, this time with a little more force, his lips feeling the slight scratch of his stubble.

Louis’ hands quickly moved to lace in his long hair and hold him still, Harry’s cupping his face, while their lips slid against one another sweetly, before parting and Louis’ tongue easily managed to slip into Harry’s more than receptive mouth.

Their fingers scrunched in their holds and tongues lapped and rolled together, finding a rhythm, which proved to be a rather frantic one, Harry falling over in the end anyway, Louis still attached to his mouth and so falling right along with him, his hips fitting easily between Harry’s legs. Harry grunted a bit with the sudden weight landing atop him, but found he enjoyed kissing Louis far too much to stop.

Eventually though, their breath running short and lips sufficiently bruised from their rather fierce kissing, Harry managed to pull out of the kiss, his heart still beating quickly and stomach gathering with a growing heat.

“This is probably a bad idea, are you even sure this is what you want – you sure you like blokes?” Harry asked, his voice a little more gruff than usual.

“Yes, Harry, honestly. I hate to break it to you, but you’re not exactly the first bloke I’ve hooked up with. I’ve been with guys before and I don’t just mean kissing,” Louis replied, sitting up a little, his body straddling Harry’s hips.

At this, Harry’s eyebrows rose into his hairline, but his hands moved to settle on Louis’ thighs, finally getting a good feel of them, before loudly and unthinkingly groaning, “ _Fuck_ , your thighs.”

Harry’s random outburst after what he himself had just said caused Louis to burst out in laughter, before flexing his thighs around Harry’s hips and beneath his hands.

“Eh, they’re too... chunky. I far prefer yours; you have such lovely slender, long legs,” Louis admitted, reaching behind himself to lightly pat one of them.

“Well I think they’re nice and strong. I’d kill to see you change it up and maybe wear a pair of my swim shorts instead of your baggy ones...” Harry argued, squeezing his thighs for emphasis and making Louis giggle.

“They won’t look nearly as good on me.” And before Harry could argue anymore, Louis leaned back down to kiss him some more, this time his lips moved with less haste and more tenderness, which had Harry humming, his hands easily sliding from Louis’ thighs to cup his firm arse. Which definitely felt as good as he’d long suspected it would.

“Now _that_ I’m rather happy with,” Louis murmured slyly against his lips, before slowly but purposefully beginning to kiss down along Harry’s jaw to his throat, before laying little nips and kisses to his collarbones.

“As you should be,” Harry chuckled lowly, body arching towards Louis as his mouth moved down to focus on his exposed navel and hipbones.

“Let me blow you?” Louis’ sudden request had Harry’s slowly lulling eyelids snap open, his elbows popping up to prop him up so he could get a better look at him, his hands on Harry’s hipbones and nose brushing against his happy trail. “Let me show you I know what I want.”

“Really?” harry couldn’t help but ask in disbelief.

“Really,” Louis replied, now nuzzling his nose against the growing bulge in Harry’s boxer briefs, his purple mesh tutu making Louis’ hair go a bit static as his head rubbed against it in the process. “So...?”

“Oh God, yes. Yes, please,” Harry nodded quickly, his head spinning a little due to a combination of drink and disbelief.

Louis didn’t waste anymore time, he just stuck his fingers in the waistband of Harry’s boxers and pulled them down his thighs, his eager cock springing free and just missing hitting Louis in the face. Keen blue eyes then ran over Harry’s filling out member, taking in every ridge and vein with avid interest.

“Of course,” Louis’ words caused a brush of warm air to hit Harry’s most sensitive skin, making him to squirm a bit under his inspection.

“Of course, what?” he asked, biting his bottom lip nervously, his own, green, eyes trying to study Louis’ face through the purple mesh of his tutu.

“Your dick’s just as perfect and long as the rest of you,” he grumbled, hiding a smile, as Harry burst out into loud laughter, which quickly ended on a gasp as Louis just went straight ahead and wrapped his hand around the base of him before sucking his head into his mouth.

“Fuck, some warning would’ve been nice,” Harry groaned, his head thrown back as Louis tongued his slit before sucking some more of him into his warm, wet mouth.

Louis just chuckled around his cock, before hollowing his cheeks and setting about sucking him properly, as far as he could manage, the vibrations making Harry’s toes and fingers curl in the sand with pleasure. Louis mouth was hot, wet and just incredible around him, his strong tongue helping to apply extra pressure.

Well damn, this certainly wasn’t how Harry had envisioned his holiday in Magaluf going. He hadn’t thought Liam’s friend would turn out to be super fit and capture his attention so completely, let alone then end up sucking him off on the beach after he’d been convinced Louis was straight and so unattainable. But here they were, partaking in one hell of a blowjob in the sand, the sound of waves crashing nearby intermixing with the wet clicks of Louis’ mouth on him and the night sky stretching high above them with its shimmering stars.

“Oh, yeah, shit, Lou,” Harry groaned, balancing on his right forearm and using his left hand to hold down his interfering tutu, so he could watch Louis better.

Louis’ fringe now stood up in a static mess, his pronounced cheekbones standing out even more as he worked hard at sucking and pleasuring Harry with his mouth, some of his drool sliding out and gathering by Harry’s balls, but neither could care less, heated blue trained on bliss-filled green.

“Ungh,” Harry could only really whimper now, the heat in his lower belly already threatening to overflow, his breath coming out in hot pants and right arm threatening to give out. “C-close.”

“Y-yeah, just come, Har. C-come, in me mouth,” Louis briefly broke off to rasp, before removing his palm to lick a wet stripe down it and then wrapped it around him again. His slick lips also then opened again so he could take Harry’s cock back in too, while his hand began to pump the base of him, which his mouth just couldn’t quite reach.

Never one to disappoint, Harry obediently let go with a loud moan, his come hitting the back of Louis throat and left arm back to helping support him up, as his eyes squeezed tight, face contorted in pleasure. Louis tried to swallow as much as he could, continuing to suck and tug Harry through his orgasm, until the other boy whimpered for him to stop as his arms finally gave out and he fell back against the sand.

Panting and greedily gasping in as much air now as he could, Louis sat back up and wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, eyes never leaving Harry’s blissed out face. A proud little smile then curved his sharp mouth.

“Fuck, Lou,” was all Harry could eventually manage, a wide smile spread across his own face as his eyes blinked up at the night sky.

“Was I okay?” Louis asked, feeling a little self-conscious, as he watched Harry pull his boxers back up. “I mean, it wasn’t my first, but I know I still need a lot more practice...”

Harry just chuckled lowly, his eyes moving to regard Louis’ face, his wide, goofy smile still in place and beginning to make his cheeks ache, but he couldn’t stop, the little bit of milky white in the corner of Louis’ mouth only making him beam all the more.

“It was great, Lou. You’re great,” he assured him, beckoning Louis to lie back down beside him, before reaching out his thumb to swipe the bit of come he’d missed, Louis’ cheeks flushing a bit under the light of his star headband.

"Was the first time I've swallowed," Louis admitted with a bright blush staining his cheeks.

"Well I'm honoured," Harry said with a low chuckle, he then just pulled him in for a kiss, ignoring Louis protest, dismissing the shorter brunet’s concern with the fact that he’d just swallowed Harry’s come.

Even kissing, Harry still couldn’t seem to stop smiling, as he happily kissed Louis deeply, relishing in the taste of himself on him, making their teeth knock a bit, but neither minded. He ran his hands through Louis’ silky hair, ignoring the grains of sand, as he rolled them so he was on top now, his bigger body draped over him.

“L-let me return the favour, yeah?” Harry asked breathlessly, pulling out of the kiss, his loose hair creating a curtain around their faces and hand cupping the bulge in the front of Louis’ boxer briefs.

“D-don’t wanna stop kissing you though,” Louis admitted, reddened, kiss-swollen lips jutting out in a pout, his hair a complete mess now and hands loosely holding Harry’s bum. “Maybe next time?”

“Next time,” Harry hummed, enjoying the sound of that as he leaned down to suck on Louis’ bottom lip, before pulling off with an audible _pop._ “Can I at least give you a handjob?” he then asked, lightly squeezing his hand around Louis’ straining bulge and making him groan.

“I’d be honoured,” Louis grinned back skewly, prompting Harry to steal a giggled kiss, before releasing his hold to instead give his palm a good lick, before pushing his hand down Louis’ boxers and gripping his flesh properly.

“Look who’s pretty perfect himself,” Harry said, grinning down at the way Louis was biting down on his bottom lip. Louis just chuckled with a shake of his head, before grunting a little as Harry began to jerk him off, the press of his metal rings against his most sensitive skin adding a bit of extra edge that Louis kinda liked. “How do you like it?”

“’s good like this,” Louis nodded, his legs falling a bit more open and eyes fluttering a little as Harry squeezed his head on an upstroke.

His hand having found a good rhythm, Harry went back to kissing Louis, whose hands knotted in his thick, wavy hair, hips undulating up into Harry’s strong hand.

Unlike their first, frantic kisses, these were slower and sloppy, their tongues lazily sliding against each other, the occasional whimper or breathy moan escaping Louis as Harry’s hand continued to work him closer and closer to the edge.

When Louis felt himself about to teeter over, he tried to pull away in warning but Harry just used his free hand to hold his head in place, cupping his jaw, as his other hand picked up the pace and brought Louis crashing into his climax with a high moan muffled by Harry’s mouth on his.

When he’d pumped the last of it out of Louis, the smaller brunet now sprawled out and panting on his back, Harry brought his hand up to his mouth to curiously lick his fingers clean, Louis boxers and tutu a lost cause.

“Did you just...” But Louis cut himself off, shaking his head in wonder, a goofy grin to rival Harry’s earlier one now stretched across his face.

Harry just shrugged and giggled, a snort escaping him, which sent Louis into delirious giggles too, as he then gently tucked Louis back in his boxers and cuddled back down against him.

“Can’t believe they’re still glowing,” Harry said, reaching out to gently flick one of the star baubles atop Louis head, the headband barely still holding on to about the crown of his head.

“Yeah,” Louis managed to rasp sleepily, his body feeling like jelly and eyelids heavy.

“Are you falling asleep on me?” Harry asked, looking up at Louis’ relaxed, glitter-smeared features, his eyes having drifted shut and chest starting to rise and fall gently.

“Mm-hmm,” came a barely audible hum of confirmation, which brought a sleepy smile to Harry’s face, as he settled back down, resting his cheek against the warmth of Louis’ chest, Louis then gently wrapping his arm around him.

Harry fell asleep with a contended sigh, his body still thrumming with a mix of tipsy happiness and post-orgasmic satisfaction, Louis’ comforting scent and heat all around him.

~x~

Harry awoke with a screaming headache, tired, dry eyes that didn’t want to open and a crick in his neck, as well as sand in every nook and cranny of his body he’d never wanted it.

“C’mon, Harry, we should head back before the beach fills up,” Louis’ sleep raspy voice filtered to him, as he continued to gently shake Harry awake.

“S’till dark out,” Harry grumbled in his own gruff voice, green eyes opening to slits.

“Not exactly, the sun’s rising,” Louis replied, helping yank an unsteady Harry up onto his feet.

“Got sand in my mouth,” he muttered, tired face scrunching up in distaste and making Louis chuckle affectionately.

“Yeah, I’ve got sand everywhere and my eyes are burning; thanks to napping with my contacts in,” Louis nodded, squeezing Harry’s hand lightly when the other boy made no move to release his. “We should probably rinse off under one of the showers here before we head back to the hotel.”

“’kay,” was all Harry could manage, body wavering a bit as he struggled not to fall asleep on his feet.

Louis let go of his hand then, Harry pouting, so he could gather up their shoes and his stupid headband, before reaching out to take Harry’s hand again and lead him off to the closest outdoor shower on the edge of the beach.

“Are you always this buggered when you’re hungover?” Louis asked after he’d rinsed himself off, clothes and all, his tutu now thrown over his arm and shoes’ laces knotted and hanging around his neck, as he watched Harry rinse himself off with the motions of a zombie. “You weren’t so bad yesterday.”

He just shrugged, “Don’think the short sleep helped.” He then shut off the shower and squeezed as much water as he could out of his hair and then tank top. The sky behind him was shimmering in an array of bright colours to signal the sunrise, as a few others who’d passed out around the area either continued to sleep on or began to make their way back to their hotels too.

When Louis then held his hand out towards him, a bright smile broke out across Harry’s face, the cold shower water having woken him up some, as he readily accepted it, after picking up his own shoes with his other hand.

“You have the loveliest smile, even now when it’s clear you feel like shit,” Louis commented as they began their sodden walk back to their room. “It just lights up your whole face.”

“Naww, really?” Harry said bashfully, squeezing Louis hand when he nodded. “Thank you.”

When they eventually made it back to their room, to find all three beds still made up (Niall clearly still off somewhere with Elsa), Harry’s brief spark of energy was all used up, as he dumped down his shoes and peeled off his tank and tutu, before heading over to his cupboard to get a new pair of boxer briefs.

“Should probably hang up all the wet stuff,” Louis suggested dumping his own shoes down and peeling off his own tank top, before disappearing into the bathroom to deal with his contacts.

Harry just grunted, gathering his wet things and headed out to drape them on one of the chairs on their balcony, before simply just peeling off his boxers and doing the same to them right there out in the open.

“You don’t give a fuck, do you?” Louis asked with a laugh, entering back into the room in time to see this and distractedly get more boxer briefs for himself as he continued to watch a completely nude Harry then stumble into his own clean ones.

“No,” Harry said, managing a chuckle as Louis passed him to go hang his own stuff up, and he headed back in. “Pleased to see you don’t either,” he then added as he turned around in time to see Louis’ pale, bare arse for the first time as he followed Harry’s example. It definitely looked every bit as good as it felt.

Louis just chuckled to himself as he stepped into his fresh boxer briefs and then turned around to head back inside, only to find Harry climbing into his bed.

“Oi, your bed’s in the middle,” he pointed out, rubbing one of his irritated eyes, morning light shining behind him. Harry just giggled and lifted the duvet up, moving to the one side.

“Come join me.”

Louis didn’t need telling twice, as he then climbed in and snuggled up in front of Harry, the taller boy spooning him from behind and nuzzling his face into Louis’ mop of damp hair. Both were definitely getting far too used to sleeping snuggled up next to the other, they just slotted together so well though; like two puzzle pieces.

~x~

Loud banging at their room door woke the boys up, Louis with his face smushed against Harry’s bare chest, drooling, and Harry with a mouthful of Louis’ fluffing hair.

“OI! Wake up! Wake up!” Liam’s voice could be heard calling out to them through the door.

“Alright, alright, don’t get your knickers in a knot,” Niall’s sleep roughened voice could then be heard, surprising Harry and Louis, who watched on as the blond boy staggered out of bed and went to open the door, still in his silly outfit from the previous night.

“When did he come in?” Louis whispered against the back of Harry’s neck, his eyes dry and tired.

“Dunno, must’ve crept in when we were sleeping.”

As soon as the door was open, both Liam and Zayn poured in, shutting the door behind them and with giant smiles across their faces, while Niall went to collapse back on his bed with a grunt.

“Guess what?!” Zayn asked the three of them, before, impatient, Liam just answered for him anyway.

“We booked for us to all go snorkeling today! So you need to get ready to go, like, now already.”

Niall just groaned, the sound muffled due to him lying face down on his bed.

“Yay,” Louis groaned with similar excitement, sluggishly moving to sit up in the bed, his eyes bloodshot and hair having dried extra fluffy and now sticking up every which way.

“Wait... why are you two doubling up again? Harry’s bed is free,” Liam then suddenly asked, frowning at the two of them curiously.

“Um, uh...” Louis began, looking between Harry and him, before suddenly saying, “Dunno, we were drunk when we got back?”

“Ah, okay,” Liam laughed, oblivious to the way Harry frowned a little in confusion at Louis’ answer, before walking over to nudge Niall in the shoulder. “And you, mate? What did you get up to?”

“Ungh’Elsa, only got back like an hour ago,” he replied, turning over onto his back, his exhausted lacklustre behaviour so uncharacteristic for him.

“Think you’ll manage?” Zayn asked, concerned, as he took in Niall’s bloodshot own eyes.

“We’re going to see lil’ fishies, aren’t we? I’ll manage,” he replied, tiredly lifting his arms up to give a double thumbs up.

“That’s the spirit!” Liam cheered, clearly wound up with excited energy, before him and Zayn left them to get ready.

Despite his best attempts then, Harry was unsuccessful in trying to convince Louis to wear a pair of his swim shorts, but in the end it didn’t matter as the company that took them snorkeling insisted they all wear wetsuits anyway for sun protection. Harry was therefore not left disappointed, the suits' skintight quality not leaving much to the imagination.

“Fuck, Lou, your arse in this wetsuit though,” Harry whispered in a groan so only Louis could hear, the group now beginning to jump off the boat they’d been taken on to the exclusive snorkeling spot away from other tourists, the rush of fresh air on the boat trip over having woken everyone up properly.

Louis just looked over his shoulder with a smirk and wink, before pulling his facemask down and hopping into the beautiful, clear blue water after Zayn.

As they began to disperse in the water, finding and following schools of brightly coloured fish among the rocks and corral, Harry followed right after Louis, startling him by suddenly grabbing onto his ankle and causing him to swallow a mouthful of seawater.

“You dick!” Louis yelled spluttering up salty water, as they resurfaced, Harry just laughing.

“I was pretending to be a shark,” he shrugged, treading water.

“You gave me such a fright though,” Louis pouted, his fringe all wet and flopped over his facemask, lips knocking into his snorkel’s mouthpiece.

“You’re so cute,” Harry smiled, moving closer, but Louis held out a hand to stop him, wide eyes looking around to make sure the others were still submerged.

“What? Why don’t you want them to know?” Harry asked, confused, and he’d be lying if he said he didn’t feel a little hurt too.

“’Cause we don’t even know what this is yet, I think we should figure things out ourselves before we tell them, you know, keep things simple. Things’ll only get... complicated once they know,” Louis admitted, satisfied that the others were preoccupied. He couldn’t help but want to be cautious this time round, he would take a chance on Harry, but he needed to test the waters better before he just went all in at it. Once burned, twice shy after all.

“Okay,” Harry nodded, his nose twitching a bit. He wasn’t exactly happy about it, but he also had to admit it made sense. Plus he could understand where Louis’ caution was coming from.

Louis gave him an apologetic smile and reached out to squeeze his hand under the water. “Let’s just snorkel and enjoy this for now, yeah?”

“Okay,” Harry repeated with a nod and let go of Louis’ hand, “But you’re going to have to stop being such a tease – two can play at that game after all.” He then gave Louis a wink, mimicking his little display from earlier, before putting his snorkel back in his mouth and diving.

“Ugh!” Louis couldn’t help groan, slapping the water with his palms.

“And that?” Liam asked with a quirk of his eyebrows, having surfaced to get some water out of his facemask, just in time to catch Louis’ little display.

“Um, uh, nothing,” Louis shrugged, hastily attempting some nonchalance, as he turned to look at his best mate properly.

“Didn’t look like nothing,” Liam pointed out, his lips curling into a smirk. “And was that Harry that just disappeared? You two seem to be getting on awfully well.”

“Well, uh, yeah. He’s a fun guy,” Louis said, offering another shrug, before skirting the issue, as was his way. “You scared I’m looking to replace you as my best mate, Payno?”

“What, with Harry? Nah, you wouldn’t; I can’t exactly see him tagging along with you to play Friday night footie games either. That’s not really his thing,” Liam said, satisfied he’d dislodged all the water and then pulled his facemask back on to test it out.

“Who knows, I’m sure I could convince him to at least give it a shot,” Louis reasoned with a playful smirk.

“Hmm, yeah, I guess all you’d have to do is bat those baby-blues at him and he probably would; Harry really seems rather taken with you,” Liam admitted, bringing up something he’d been noticing over the past couple days.

“Really, you think Harry has a thing for me?” Louis asked coyly and feigned surprise.

“Oh, Tommo, don’t give me that, you’re not fooling anyone. Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed now,” Liam laughed with a shake of his head. “You be kind to him though, Harry’s a sweet lad, alright?”

“”Course, Li-Li, am I ever anything but kind?” he grinned, making Liam roll his eyes in his facemask, before splashing water at Louis.

“Play nice,” he warned again, Louis shooting back a “Yes, Dad!” before he went off to go find Zayn underwater and Louis got down to doing some actual snorkeling.

After following a school of pretty blue fish around for a bit, Louis could spot two people up ahead, one under water and only the bottom half of the other one submerged, blond hair swaying underwater and the pair of long legs ending in flippers giving away Niall and Harry, so, curiosity piqued, he decided to go check what the two friends were up to.

When he got closer, Harry had submerged fully again and was giving Niall a thumbs up, Louis then noticing that the other boy was holding an underwater camera and shooting snapshots of Harry surrounded by lots of different coloured tropical fish. After then posing by pointing at the fish, Harry spotted Louis and gave him a wave before beckoning him over, Niall quick to join in with excited hand gestures.

When he got close enough, Harry threw an arm over his shoulder and pulled him close, the pair then spitting out their snorkels so they could smile as Niall took a picture of them, little bubbles escaping their noses, before the blond boy moved closer and turned the camera around so he could take a picture of all three of them. Lungs then fit to burst, the bubbles escaping his nose getting more frequent, Louis resurfaced again to take a large gulp of air.

“So dramatic! We weren’t even holding our breath for that long,” Harry teased with a laugh, having also come up for air, Niall then popping up too.

“How cool is this camera?” Niall asked Louis, before he could respond to Harry and so had to settle with a playful glare over Niall’s head instead.

“Really cool,” Louis then nodded with a laugh, pushing his wet fringe back off his facemask.

“It can take short videos too. How’s about we try it out and maybe take some more pictures too, yeah? Maybe even find Liam and Zayn for some, if they haven’t just gone to make out behind one of the rocks.”

“Alright, sounds good to me,” Louis nodded, before looking over to Harry who nodded his agreement, his wet bun and snorkel bouncing with the movement.

~x~

“You see, I told you we’d have fun with the buckets!” Zayn said proudly, waving his hands at the monster sandcastle they’d all been constructing since getting back from snorkeling.

“Now if only you’d actually contributed more to building this,” Louis grumbled right back, patting his hand on the underside of a bucket, before gently lifting it off of yet another sand turret. “Instead of dictating how it should look.”

“Hey, who here is the art student? That’s right, I am. Also, it was my idea,” Zayn shot right back, adjusting his sunglasses on his nose with a huff.

“Now, now, let’s not fight,” Liam tutted, spreading some more sunscreen on his face, snapback cap trapped in a hold between his knees.

“Besides, we’ve had fun, don’t deny it, Lou,” Niall laughed, pouring a bucket of water into their castle’s moat. “I mean, look at that!”

“It looks great!” Harry declared, walking up from the not too distant waterline, balancing four fresh buckets of seawater for their sandcastle, wet shorts slung dangerously low and damp hair curling about his shoulders, a pair of sunglasses holding it up off his face like a headband. Louis would be lying if he said he didn't like what he saw, having to do his best to not stare so openly in front of their friends.

“See,” Zayn nodded smugly. “It all worked out.”

Louis just rolled his eyes at Zayn, as he accepted one of the buckets from Harry and used it to make some more wet sand, which he then proceeded to shovel into a bucket with his hands, muttering under his breath the entire time. Unable not to smile at the little display, Niall going off for more water and Liam on to spreading sunscreen on Zayn, Harry crouched down beside Louis.

“You’re cute when you’re grumpy,” he teased under his breath, nudging Louis in the side with one of his bent knees. “Would be cuter if you were wearing a pair of my swim shorts though,” he then added when he didn’t get a response. This time Louis couldn’t hold back a snort, which made a wide grind spread on Harry’s face.

“You’re never gonna stop going on about those bloody things, are you?” he asked with a shake of his head, treacherous lips curling into a smile.

“Not until I get to see you in them,” Harry laughed, plopping down on his bum in the sand.

“Wouldn’t you just rather see me in nothing?” Louis asked, dropping his voice to barely a whisper, as he continued to pat and pack his bucket with sand, Harry watching the way the muscles in his arms flexed with the movement, making the tattooed bird on his forearm shift temptingly.

“Well I certainly wouldn’t complain,” Harry admitted, a twinkle in his liquid green eyes, made lighter due to the sunshine. “But I’m not so sure how everyone else would react, this not being a nudist beach and all.”

“Okay, well, supposing I do give in and wear a pair of those,” he waved his hand to indicate Harry’s bright yellow swimwear, “short-shorts, what would you be willing to give me in return?”

“Ooh, a bargainer,” Harry chuckled, reaching over to help fill one of the other buckets. “Well... let’s just say I’d be prepared to show my appreciation in the form of returning the favour and,” he now leaned over to whisper directly into Louis’ ear, “would suck your brains out through your dick – literally blow your mind.”

At that little image, Louis blinked quickly in rapid succession and then swallowed, attempting to ignore the responsive twitch from his cock and eternally grateful for having worn his baggy boardshorts. “Well, that sure is quite something to say, how do I know you can deliver though?”

“Well as you so eloquently put it to me last night, ‘I’ve been with guys before and I don’t just mean kissing’,” Harry laughed, waggling his eyebrows and pushed his tongue out against the inside of his cheek suggestively.

“Oi, what’re you two whispering about?” Niall asked, before a rather flustered Louis could respond, dumping down the newly filled buckets and prompting them to scrabble up and make use of their sand-filled buckets.

“Just, uh, chatting about the castle,” Louis said, lying through his teeth, as he carelessly tapped against his bucket and lifted it, his new addition to the castle coming close to falling over, while he willed his elevated heartbeat to slow down again.

“Careful!” Zayn warned, having finished returning the favour and putting more sunscreen on Liam too.

“Relax, your precious castle is fine,” Louis said, which of course happened to be just as Harry accidentally tripped up on an empty bucket which had been left on its side, and was sent crashing face-first right into their sand masterpiece.

“NOOO!!” they all yelled, but it was useless, the castle was instantly reduced to a heap of sand around Harry, only a few sad towers remaining here and there.

“The castle,” Zayn could only gasp out, eyes wide. “I didn’t even get to take a picture...”

“Shit, I’m so sorry!” Harry apologised, one of the remaining towers getting knocked over as he sat up, his own eyes comically wide. “I’m so sorry.”

“All our work...” Liam shook his head, staring on in dismay at a crumbling stump of one of the bigger towers.

Suddenly then though, unable to hold it in any longer, the looks of horror on everyone’s faces too much, Louis burst out into loud hysterical laughter, his body doubling over with the effort as his deep-bellied laughter rang out.

Unable to really do anything but, Niall joined in, Liam and Harry following suit, before even Zayn began to laugh.

“So much for that,” Niall said, dropping down to sit in the ruins of their castle beside Harry.

“Well I took a few pictures on my phone of us building it, I’m afraid they’ll just have to do, babe,” Liam said, squeezing Zayn’s hand.

“Thanks,” Zayn said before giving Liam a quick kiss. “Well, may as well destroy what’s left!” And then he ran and jumped on one of the last remaining towers, Louis gallantly kicking over the last one.

“Guess that’s that then. Wanna go get drinks and early dinner at that pub we passed earlier?” Liam suggested, watching the four of them now rolling in the ruins of their hard worked for sandcastle.

“Sounds good,” Niall agreed, him and Harry shooting Liam thumbs up.

“I’m keen,” Louis agreed, Zayn humming and nodding.

~x~

Music thumping loudly in his ears and vibrating inside his chest, Harry watched on as Louis danced, his movements nearly aggressive they were so enthusiastic, his hips thrusting hard and often, to the point where even Niall had noticed and joined in, the two soon just giving up all pretences of actually dancing, everyone laughing and cheering around them. When Louis then caught Harry’s eye and gave a particularly sharp thrust with a wink, he’d had enough and upped his own dancing game. He _had_ warned him not to be a tease.

Now to say Harry was a good dancer wouldn’t be a lie, but to say he wasn’t below some terribly cheesy dance moves would be a mistake. He shimmied and rotated his hips, going so far as to throw in some hip thrusts of his own, with enough enthusiasm to rival even Louis. Niall cheered and hollered, before rushing over to have a hand at Harry’s dance moves too, Elsa and her friends quick to join in as well.

Louis laughed as more and more people began to join in, even Zayn and Liam managing to separate long enough to give it a shot.

Dancing in the packed club was a hot and sweaty business, and eventually Harry was left holding his hair up off his face as his body undulated to the rhythm, his shirt buttons nearly all undone, revealing his skin to all, sweat glistening in the divots of his abs. Louis could hardly be blamed for forgetting all about dancing himself, as he watched on with an admittedly lust-filled gaze.

“Hey, Tommo!” Liam called loudly in Louis’ ear over the music, startling him out of his zoned out staring and prompting him to turn to look at his friends, Zayn drunkenly clinging to Liam from behind, his chin resting on his shoulder.

“We’re, uh,” Liam exchanged a quick look with Zayn, their eyes full of heated promise, “gonna head back to our room now. Niall says he’s gonna stay with Elsa, so don’t worry about finding him when you decide to leave, yeah? Just make sure you get Casanova there back.” At that all three looked over to see Harry dancing seductively between two beaming girls.

“That boy is on fire tonight,” Zayn pointed out with a grin.

“C’mon you, let’s go,” Liam laughed, pecking Zayn on the cheek before taking his hand. “You have fun, Tommo.”

“Oh, I plan to,” Louis nodded, watching them disappear into the crowd. As soon as they were out of sight, he turned and strode right over to Harry and grabbed him by the arm, wasting no time in dragging him away from his dance partners and off the dance floor.

“And this, where’re we off to?” Harry asked with a laugh, allowing the shorter brunet to cart him off towards a fairly dark corner.

Louis didn’t say anything; he just ploughed his way through the crowds until they reached his desired destination and then shoved Harry up against the wall and crashed their mouths together in a rough kiss. Although taken a bit by surprise, Harry soon responded, leaning down a little so Louis could reach easier, his hands clutching onto the shorter boy’s slim waist and pulling him in closer.

Louis’ hands fisted in his long hair, pulling their faces together as close as possible, his mouth practically inhaling the other boy’s breath as he kissed him with what could only be described as desperation. His tongue plundered Harry’s mouth and Harry just groaned and kissed him back with just as much fervour.

Louis’ strong body felt hot and hard against his own, their height difference going completely unnoticed as Louis truly took charge and held him pinned against the wall with all his weight. Eventually though, Louis pulled out of the kiss, his heart racing in his chest and mouth panting, his lungs burning from lack of oxygen.

“Wow,” Harry gasped, his own chest heaving, as his head fell back to rest against the wall, Louis’ weight still holding him propped against the wall. He hadn’t thought it actually physically possible, but after that kiss, he truly felt weak at the knees.

“Been dying to do that all night,” Louis admitted, reaching out to push a lock of Harry’s dark hair back behind his ear, his eyes taking in his rumpled, sweaty state and his pupils which were blown wide, his lips shiny, wet and extra pouty. “Fuck, and you say I’m a tease.”

“I’m sorry, but did you see those hip thrusts you were throwing out? I feel we’re even in the very least,” Harry argued, his hands slipping from their place on Louis’ hips to slide under his white tee, his skin heated and slightly damp with sweat beneath.

“Even, huh?” Louis asked with a smirk, his own hands moving to grip either side of Harry’s as-good-as-undone shirt and tugging him closer to join their lips in another heated, but more tender, kiss.

“Definitely,” Harry confirmed, his lips brushing against Louis’ lips as he spoke, his hands moving higher under Louis’ tee and so rucking it up his sweaty back in the process.

“Harold, are you playing with my nipples in public?!” Louis asked loudly in mock horror, his high blood-alcohol level easing his inhibitions, when Harry’s fingers had located said nubs of hardened flesh and begun to lightly roll and flick them.

“And what if I am?” Harry asked with a tipsy giggle, biting down coyly on his full bottom lip. “Fells good, doesn’t it?”

“Feels amazing,” Louis nodded, pushing his lower body up against Harry’s more firmly, making the taller brunet very aware of the definite hardness pushing against his thigh. “So _good_.”

Grinning, Harry applied a little more pressure with his fingers, his own hardness pushing into Louis’ lower abdomen, as he joined their lips in another heated kiss, eyes closing as he just gave himself over to the feel of everything Louis.

Their rather public little display was interrupted by a group of partiers crying “Go get a room!” and cheering and whistling, one even patting Louis on the back as she passed. The boys broke apart quickly, faces glowing pink as they tried to compose themselves, Louis tugging his tee back down.

“Should we, uh, you know, go back?” Louis offered with a shrug, cheeks still rosy, but now for a different reason. “Niall’s staying with Elsa, so we’d, uh, have the room to ourselves...”

“You sure you want to?” Harry checked, his own cheeks pinking up some more. “We don’t have to, er, do anything...”

Louis just smiled at him, before moving forward to grab a handful of Harry’s hair and pull him into a searing kiss, eventually ending it with a tug at Harry’s lush bottom lip, which then _popped_ free from between his teeth.

“I’m sure, really. What about you?”

Harry just grinned back broadly, grabbing Louis’ hand and then tugged him along, through the crowds once more and towards the exit, Louis laughing and happily being led.

When they got out of the packed and sweltering club, Harry pulled Louis into another kiss, his lips addicted to the feel of Louis’ against them, his tongue revelling in the rhythmic roll of its counterpart.

“Can’t seem to stop kissing you now,” Harry panted against Louis’ open mouth, their hot breath mingling and sweat-dampened foreheads resting against each other.

“Same,” Louis agreed, before pressing a rapid fire of kisses against Harry’s soft, pink lips. “You taste so good. Look so good too.”

Harry just chuckled, cheeks aching with his goofily wide smile. “You’re not too bad yourself.”

Eventually managing to break it up a bit, they started once more on their journey back to their hotel, holding hands with their fingers entwined.

“S’a’bit cheesy, but, eh,” Louis had shrugged when Harry had brought up the fact they were holding hands still. “I like holding your hand.”

A bashful smile on his face, Harry had nodded, their hands just seemed to fit so well together. “Yeah, you have such nice warm hands.”

“’Cause that’s what one wants in this weather,” Louis laughed, waving his free hand about to emphasise their surroundings and the fact that it was pretty damn hot in Magaluf.

Harry just laughed and shrugged, as they continued to stroll along the strip, revellers cheering and drunkenly laughing with each other as they passed them.

“Damn, I don’t know how, but you can even pull off cuffed denim short-shorts,” Louis then said out of nowhere, making Harry snort laugh, his eyes taking in Harry’s seemingly never ending legs.

“Thanks, I guess,” he eventually managed to reply with a shake of his head, before looking down pointedly at Louis’ feet. “The same could be said for you and those Toms.”

“Oi! What’s wrong with me Toms? I love them, they’re super comfy an’ all,” he defended, now shaking his own head, unable to hold back a smile, as he stopped and dug said Toms into the ground, Harry being yanked back to a standstill too.

“They’re not exactly the nicest looking shoes though,” Harry said with an apologetic shrug, but had to giggle at Louis’ mock hurt expression. “You really are so cute,” he then said before pressing a kiss to the other boy’s pouting lips.

Louis just giggled back into the kiss too, popping up on his toes to meet Harry’s mouth for a firmer kiss.

They eventually made it back to their room, after having to stop every now and again when one of them just couldn’t resist stealing another kiss, but were now both more than a little hot under the collar, Harry having his own turn at pushing Louis up against a wall outside their door. His hands dropped to grip Louis’ bum as they kissed, pulling him up into his arms, Louis’ strong legs wrapping around his waist.

“J-just so you know, I’m not usually the sort for the whole ‘being carried’ thing,” Louis panted when their lips parted, Harry balancing him with one hand between his body and the wall, while he searched his shorts' pockets with his other hand for the room card.

“Yeah? But you feel so good in my arms... around my waist,” Harry said, his voice dropping an octave lower and eyes never leaving Louis’ heated blue ones as he finally located the key card and unlocked their room.

“Hence me making an exception,” Louis replied with a chuckle, tightening his arms around Harry’s neck as he was then carried into the room, Harry kicking the door shut behind them.

“Which bed?”

“Yours, that way we can sleep in mine, by the window.”

“And you’re really sure about this, yeah? Last time I’m gonna ask,” Harry still felt the need to check, as he tried to ignore the warmth that spread through him at the knowledge that Louis wanted to then share a bed and probably snuggle together afterwards.

“Yes, Harold, I’m no blushing virgin. I know what I want,” Louis said with a playful roll of his eyes.

“Alrighty then,” Harry said, before dumping him on the middle bed with a laugh, Louis bouncing a bit as a result.

Both removed their footwear, before Harry moved to kneel on the bed, Louis sitting up to then join their already kiss-swollen lips in yet some more hot kisses. Fingers stroked through and tugged on hair, their mouths moving in perfect sync, Harry straddling Louis’ lap and starting to roll his hips into him.

Louis’ hands once more gripped Harry’s shirt, pushing it off his shoulders and tugging it off, the bottom two buttons which were still done, popping off as a result, Harry’s shirt then fluttering onto the floor.

“Oi, I like that shirt,” Harry grumbled, unable to find himself really annoyed as Louis began sucking kisses down his throat, his tongue lapping up some of the salty sweat clinging to his skin.

“S’only a couple buttons,” Louis replied, hands moving to clutch at the softness at Harry’s waist as he dipped his head low enough to lightly graze his teeth over one of his extra nipples, making Harry giggle.

“And you were worried about coming across as a weirdo before,” he chuckled, although rather breathily, Louis moving on to the other one.

“Shush, you,” Louis chuckled, then pressing a final kiss to the centre of the butterfly tattoo Harry had across his diaphragm, before reaching behind himself and yanking his white tee off.

“You’ve gotten so tanned,” Harry admired, his hands moving up Louis’ chest, over some of his own ink work, and resting on his strong shoulders. “You’ve got such lovely skin...”

“I tan easy,” Louis shrugged, ducking his head bashfully, as Harry now ran his hands down his back reverently, flashing his dimples as he grinned down at Louis. “You’ve also tanned.”

Harry just hummed, before leaning in to capture Louis lips in more kisses, his hands moving to pop open the button at the front of his skinny jean cut-offs and then tug down his fly, prompting a little sigh to escape from Louis’ lips at the release of pressure.

“So cute,” Harry giggled in between kissing Louis, who then pulled away.

“Excuse me, I don’t know why you keep saying that. I believe you mean sexy. So _sexy_ ,” he corrected with mock offense, both now giggling, tipsy on booze and a rush of pheromones.

“My mistake,” Harry apologised, nipping at Louis’ lips, as the other boy began to gently push him to lie down against the pillows, before opening up Harry’s flies too and just getting straight to the point, as was his way in such matters, and pulled his denim shorts, boxer briefs and all off at once, his cock springing up free.

“Shit, just look at you,” Louis shook his head, as his heated blue eyes drank in the sight of Harry, fully naked, miles of lightly tanned skin in sight, and spread out invitingly before him, his dark hair spread out beneath his head and warm green eyes staring right back, his abs also more pronounced in his position against the pillows. “Fuck.”

“C’m’ere,” Harry grinned, reaching out to yank Louis down by his arm, before uniting their lips yet again, his hand stroking down the smooth skin of Louis’ back, before his thumbs caught in the waistband of his boxers which sat above his trousers' and pulled.

Laughing, his trousers and boxer briefs getting all caught up around his thighs, Louis pulled away briefly to rid himself of them, tossing them carelessly aside. Harry’s hands didn’t waste any time in grabbing onto his bum for a cheeky squeeze of each arse cheek, before Louis just collapsed on him with silly giggles.

“You’re so predictable,” he said, trying to sit up a bit and straddle Harry’s thighs, their erections bumping into each other in the process and making both groan a little at the sensation.

“Sexy. You were right. So fucking sexy,” Harry nodded, biting down on his bottom lip as his eyes greedily ran over Louis’ naked body, before lingering on his flushed stiff cock, his hands resting atop his muscled thighs. “And I was right, you have a really nice dick. Very... pretty.”

“Pretty?” Louis asked, scrunching his eyes as a bubbly, high-pitched giggle escaped him. “You think I have a pretty dick?”

“Oi,” Harry laughed, “You’re the one that said mine was perfect.”

“Yeah, but,” Louis nodded in the direction of Harry’s groin, his pupils having swallowed up most of the blue of his irises. “It simply is – perfect. Look at it: nice and long and big, but not ridiculously so. Cocks can’t be ‘pretty’.”

“Yours is,” Harry shrugged, before moving his right hand to run his index finger along the shaft of Louis’ cock, tracing a light vein there and making it twitch in response and Louis’ breath hitch. “Lovely girth too,” he nodded, thumb and index finger wrapping around it to squeeze gently.

“Okay, fuck,” Louis gasped, falling forward, his hands pressing down on Harry’s broad chest to support him. “This is embarrassing but... I feel like I could go off any second, just,” he batted Harry’s fingers away and tried to take in a deep, calming breath.

“Understood,” Harry nodded with a wide grin, “Don’t know how much longer I’ll last too... all that kissing... It’s gets me really hot.”

“Yeah, me too,” Louis admitted, sitting up a little more again, willing his pulse to slow down a bit.

“So, uh, how do you wanna do this?” Harry asked, still on his back, and reached over to the bedside table between his and Niall’s beds to open the drawer and pull out a strip of Durex condoms and lube. “Niall and I wanted to be prepared okay,” he laughed at Louis’ quirked eyebrows, his keen blue eyes having spotted even more strips of condoms in the drawer.

“No judgement, I have a stash of condoms in my suitcase,” Louis said, before glancing at the lube clutched in Harry’s fist. “And, uh, would it be okay if I, er, topped?”

“’Course, whatever you’re more comfortable with; I’m pretty versatile,” Harry grinned, tearing off one of the condoms and handing it over, the rest of the strip carelessly dropped aside, as he watched Louis then rip open the wrapper and roll the condom on. “Erm, so do you wanna,” Harry then motioned to his lower half with the lube, “or should I just?”

“I’ll do it,” Louis nodded, accepting the bottle and shifting down between Harry’s long legs, which bent and opened up for him. “Just tell me if I hurt you, okay?”

“”Course,” Harry grinned, watching the concentration on Louis’ face as he was careful to coat his fingers well, before pushing in the first one, Harry gasping a little at the sensation of the cool lube.

“Sorry, sorry. I should have tried warming that,” Louis cringed, working his finger in deeper and starting to stretch Harry.

“S’okay,” Harry chuckled, his voice sounding gruffer than usual. “Go on, put another in.”

Nodding, his eyebrows crinkling a little with concentration, Louis drew his finger out and squirted some more lube on his fingers, before pushing two back into Harry, who groaned a little and squirmed as Louis began to scissor them and stretch him some more.

“You okay?” Louis asked, eyes carefully trained on every little twitch and quirk of Harry’s face.

“Peachy,” Harry nodded, before letting out a sudden gasp, a wave of pleasure hitting him as Louis managed to find his prostate. “Another finger. Please.” Louis did as told, biting down hard on his bottom lip as he continued to prepare and ready Harry. He was just so unbelievably _tight_ and _hot_ , Louis could only just imagine how amazing he'd feel around his cock if this was just his fingers.

“Okay, okay,” Harry nodded eventually, feeling a little breathless, “m’ready.”

“Cool,” Louis said, a little breathless himself, as he pulled his fingers out with a bit of a squelch, both of them giggling a little childishly at the sound, before Louis grabbed the lube and coated himself with some and moved into position, Harry wrapping his long legs around his waist.

Green and blue held each other in absolute focus then as Louis slowly pushed forward, Harry hissing a little at the burn of being stretched around Louis, who then held still once his hips were flush against Harry’s arse.

“Still okay?” he asked, concern radiating off him as his eyes tried to look for any sign of distress on the taller boy’s face, Harry’s eyes squeezed shut.

“Perfect, just adjusting,” Harry assured him, eyelids opening to reveal his fluid, warm green eyes. “Relax,” he then chuckled reaching out to smooth the crinkle between Louis’ eyebrows, before pulling him down closer to kiss him. “Feel free to move when you’re ready.”

Satisfied with Harry’s response, Louis drew back before thrusting forward again, starting to find a rhythm that suited them, Harry’s arms around him now too as they continued to kiss.

“R-really like kissing you,” Louis panted, before nipping at Harry’s bottom lip. “Such lush lips.”

Giggling, Harry moved one of his hands up to Louis’ head, using his fingers to rake through his thick, toffee-brown hair and hold his fringe off his face.

“Well then it’s – _ungh_ – a good thing I like it so much too,” Harry grinned, craning up a bit to kiss Louis some more, before breaking off to groan deeper when Louis’ dick brushed over his prostate again. “ _Perfect_ thickness, see? Knew it, as s-soon as I saw your pretty cock.”

“Oh God, don’t,” Louis groaned, a burst of laughter breaking through him, his hips stuttering as a result and making Harry moan at the sensation, his left hand’s fingers clutching tightly against the damp skin of Louis back and right’s scrunching against his scalp.

The sporadic clench of muscles around him had Louis biting back some moans of his own, as he desperately tried to hold back. At this rate he wasn’t going to last very long at all.

Harry also felt the heat in his gut steadily building, as he pulled away from Louis’ lips to instead watch over his shoulder at the way the muscles of that pert arse of his clenched with every thrust.

“S’true though– Oh God, yeah, fuck, Lou!” Harry couldn’t hold his noises back anymore, his voice being torn from him as Louis then nailed over his prostate the hardest yet. “Just like that.”

Pleased by his reactions, Louis clutched onto the headboard behind Harry’s head with his left hand for some leverage, his right balancing him on the bed beside Harry, as he began to really pick up some pace with his thrusts. His hips proved their worth, a steady flow of groans and moans escaping deep from within Harry’s chest, as he himself grunted with the effort, beads of sweat starting to run down from his hairline, as their skin audibly slapped together.

Their tongues continued to clash in messy kisses, teeth even clinking together a couple times, while Harry had dropped his right hand to begin tugging himself along with the rapidly more frantic thrusts of Louis’ hips.

“D-don’t... I... Close,” was all Harry could manage then, the pair panting more into one another’s mouths now than actually kissing. “So – LOU! – close!”

“Me too,” Louis nodded, a drop of sweat which had been slowly tracking down along his nose then landing on Harry’s cheek, neither caring enough to notice at this point. “J-just let go. Come for me, Har.”

And Louis then lifted the hand he’d been using to balance on the bed, to wrap around over Harry’s hand on his dick and help tug him to orgasm with a loud cry, his hips maintaining their steady drive into him. His eyes scrunched tightly closed and head thrown back against the pillow, Harry gave right in to the white heat, letting it all crash over him, as his come splattered between them, his body arching up into Louis.

Louis didn’t last much longer, finally able to just let go and with Harry’s muscles fluttering madly around him, he came with a shout, voice somewhat muffled as he buried his face into the clammy crook of Harry’s neck, blindly biting and sucking at his hot, salty skin.

They slowly came down together, their bodies now a floppy pile of sweaty skin, hammering hearts and heaving chests, as they clung onto one another, Louis having just collapsed atop Harry, whose legs had slid down off his sweaty lower back to flop onto the bed either side of him. After all the swimming, sun, dancing and drinking and poor sleep they’d had the previous night, both felt completely wrecked after their orgasms.

Eventually though, Louis managed to muster up enough energy to get up and dispose of the used condom and remove his contacts, Harry also then walking bandy-legged to get a cloth from the bathroom to clean them up a bit; Louis grunting a little when Harry accidentally jarred his still-sensitive cock in the process of helping to wipe him clean of any spillage.

Then, both utterly knackered and unable to do much more, they clambered into Louis’ bed, Harry snatching a pillow from his bed to use and Louis setting an alarm to wake them in the morning, so they could clean up after themselves better before Niall returned. There was no way they were in any state to do that now.

“That was... yeah, wow, it... You were great. Felt amazing,” Louis suddenly managed then as he snuggled up against Harry cautiously, relief washing over his tired body when the other boy happily pulled him in closer. “Like the best. Ever. Literally.”

Weariness and some of the lingering booze still in his system, as well as the oxytocin and endorphins still tingling here and there, loosened Louis’ tongue, making him admit to a lot more than he would have voiced otherwise. Right now though, his body already beginning to feel pleasantly stiff, the smell of their sex in the air and his eyes fluttering shut, Harry’s warm body pressed up right against his own, Louis couldn’t be arsed to care.

“More than. Was... fuck, I don’t know? It was just really good. But, like, _really_ good,” Harry agreed with a little nod to himself, his chin brushing against the sweat-dampened locks of Louis’ hair and his own eyes drifting shut.

“Hmm... should do it again,” Louis mumbled after a yawn, nuzzling his face a little against Harry’s warm skin.

“Definitely,” Harry agreed after his answering yawn, his lips then sleepily smacking together softly, as he snuggled down some into Louis’ already worryingly comforting embrace. He was just too tired right now to think about that now though and what it probably all meant.

“G’night, Harold,” Louis murmured, already feeling himself begin to drift into sleep.

“Hmm, night, Lou.”

~x~

The sound of Louis phone alarm suddenly going off near his head woke Harry up with an annoyed grumble, the crash of drums and shriek of guitars too loud for this early in the morning. He just felt so impossibly comfortable, albeit a bit overheated, Louis’ furnace of a body pressed up against him without anything in between and his arm and leg thrown over him.

A glance to his shoulder showed him that Louis was still sleeping on peacefully, little warm puffs of air from his nose hitting Harry’s skin and a little puddle of drool having formed by his pursed lips. Harry couldn’t help but smile sleepily at the sight, the fact that Louis clearly had a tendency to drool in his seep surprisingly endearing.

He just couldn’t bear to wake him up, so he reached out for Louis’ phone to silence the alarm, but when he turned to put it back on the bedside table, he suddenly became aware of some movement out of the corner of his eyes, prompting him to look over and see... Niall. Niall staring wide-eyed back at him, the blond boy with his hand still on the door handle after having clearly just come in.

Clearly they should have set the alarm for an earlier time...

“Wha–” Niall began but was silenced by Harry frantically waving his hands to keep it down. “What’ going on, Harry?” he then asked in a whisper, his blue eyes still impossibly wide.

Harry’s eyes made a quick survey of the room, picking up the sight of clothing, the strip of condoms and bottle of lube strewn across the floor, his bed in complete disarray amidst it all, before glancing back at Louis properly. He was only partially covered by the duvet, the arm and leg that was thrown over him clearly having gotten hot and so on top of the white bedding, giving them a view of the very much naked curve of his bare arse.

“Um...” Harry quickly yanked down some of the duvet to try help cover Louis up a bit better, the sleeping boy murmuring a bit in his sleep and turned over, thankfully snuggling under it more now, before Harry reached out and grabbed the pair of boxers hanging off the bedside table beside him. Of course they’d be Louis’ he thought to himself, as he wriggled into them under the duvet, Niall making a point to stare out the window.

Harry then carefully slipped out the bed, glancing once more over his shoulder to check that Louis was still thankfully asleep, before padding over to Niall, a very guilty expression on his face.

“I thought– Isn’t he?” Niall motioned over towards the lump that was Louis in the bed.

“He’s, uh, he’s bi actually. Go figure, right?” Harry shrugged, scratching awkwardly at the back of his head, his hair an absolute mess.

Niall just raised an eyebrow in disbelief and shook his head. “I should have known, I saw the way you’ve been looking at him all holiday. I just didn’t think,” Niall made a helpless motion with his hand. “But now... well it makes sense. Should’ve seen it coming. You really do always get your man, don’t you?”

“Er, yeah,” Harry nodded sheepishly, glancing back over at Louis, before asking, “Um, would you mind please not saying anything? We, uh, we didn’t think we should tell you lot yet. We didn’t wanna complicate things just yet.”

Niall just nodded, also looking over at Louis, tufts of his brown hair sticking up from under the duvet in an unruly mess. “Are you sure this is the best idea though, Haz? He did after all only just come out of a pretty serious, long-term relationship not too long ago and, well, it’s now obvious you’re pretty taken with him – by the way I can see you looking over at him and the fact that you haven’t already gone and told everyone about bedding him yet–”

“Hey,” Harry interrupted him to protest.

“C’mon, Hazza, don’t deny it. You’re usually so open and vocal about your sex life, often even sharing more details than I care to hear,” Niall pointed out, Harry having to sigh and nod in defeat. Niall had a point. “I just don’t wanna see you getting hurt, mate.”

“Relax, Nialler, I’ll be alright. We’re just having a laugh for now and if something more should, well, develop, then so be it,” Harry tried to assure him, offering him a smile. “And if it doesn’t,” he shrugged, “then it doesn’t. Don’t worry, I promise to not mess up your friendship with Liam over it all either way.”

Harry knew he really was in deep then, when even mentioning that things might not work out with Louis made his gut twist uncomfortably with dread.

“Alright then,” Niall nodded, still unsure of what to make of it all. “I’ll, erm, just go for a walk around the hotel now then and you two can,” he gestured around to their messy room.

“Thanks you, Nialler. You’re the best, seriously,” Harry grinned, pulling him into a hug.

“Ugh, you’re all sweaty,” Niall tried to grumble and come off disapproving, but his bright smile ruined it.

“You’re not much better yourself, mate. You have a good time with Elsa then?”

“The best,” Niall grinned, his smile taking over his face now. “Just wish she didn’t have to go back to Sweden...”

After Niall left, Harry went back over to Louis, leaning over the bed, his knee resting on the mattress, as he reached over to gently shake Louis awake.

“Hey, Lou, wakey, wakey,” he said in a sing-song voice, brushing Louis’ fringe off his face, as sleepy blue eyes blinked up at him, a slow smile working its way onto his face.

“Hey,” he rasped in his morning voice, stretching his arms out above him with a yawn, revealing the dark tufts of hair in the hollows of his underarms.

“C’mon you, let’s clean up a little round here,” Harry grinned, leaning down to press a sweet kiss to the tip of his nose, before getting up off the bed to gather the condoms and lube.

“Why’re you wearing me boxers?” Louis asked, his gruff voice holding no heat, just playful curiosity, as he sat up, the duvet pooling in his lap.

“Uh, I don’t know, they were closest?” Harry shrugged, after glancing down as he was reminded of the fact, Louis’ well-worn grey boxers a little loose around his thighs and slung kinda low on his narrow hips.

“Hmm, okay,” Louis shrugged, trying to not pay too much attention to the fact that the sight of Harry wearing something of his made his tummy all warm. He couldn’t be that much of a sap, surely? Especially not this soon...

Louis slid out of bed then, stretching a little more when he stood up, before starting to round up all the strewn items of clothing, throwing a pile on his bed for Harry’s things and another one for his own, while Harry set about trying to make his bed look somewhat more presentable.

“Feel kinda guilty about the cleaning staff now,” Harry said, trying to cover up the bottom sheet.

“They’ll have been dealing with Liam and Zayn’s bedding the past few days, I’m sure they’ll be used to it,” Louis pointed out with a chuckle, prompting Harry to look over as he bent to pick up the buttons he’d broken off Harry’s shirt, bare arse in the air, its skin pale and standing out from the rest of his tanned, sun-kissed skin. Suddenly Harry could care less about the state of his sheets...

“I suppose you have a point...” Harry said, his distracted tone causing Louis to look over his shoulder.

“Like what you see?” Louis asked with a cheeky smirk, catching Harry staring at his arse.

“Very much so,” Harry said with a laugh and shameless shrug, Louis standing up right and walking over to him. “But you already know.”

“Hmm, I think I’ve gotten a few signals,” Louis grinned, Harry wrapping his arms around him. “Can I kiss you?”

“Course, why the need to ask?” Harry asked with a confused smile.

“Well I haven’t brushed me teeth yet, have I?”

“I don’t care,” Harry shrugged, before just leaning in to capture Louis’ lips in a sweet kiss.

“Oi!” Louis then giggled loudly when Harry groped his arse. “Cheeky.”

Harry just laughed, before leaning in again for another, this time deeper, kiss, their tongues moving together slick and slowly, eyes fluttering shut, neither caring that the kiss was a little more tangy than usual. Harry brought up one of his hands to cup Louis’ jaw, his thumb brushing against the stubble there that had become more scruffy over the past few days, Louis not having bothered with shaving their entire stay.

Eventually though, after a lot more groping and kissing, they managed to get their act together and finished neatening up, Harry then digging through his closet to find something to wear.

“You know what, here, lend me a pair of those damn skimpy swim shorts you’ve been begging me to wear,” Louis said suddenly, Harry nearly dropping the white t-shirt he’d selected in shock.

“Seriously?” he asked in disbelief, turning to look at Louis, who just shrugged and nodded.

“Yeah, after last night, well, it’s the least I could do. Besides, there’s a ‘mind-blowing’ blowjob on offer if I wear ‘em,” he grinned. “Just please not the yellow ones.”

“Aww, the yellow ones would look so good though,” Harry said, pouting, but pulled out the blue pair he had. “S’fine, I’ll wear them.”

“Yeah, let’s not push it, Harold,” Louis chuckled, catching the shorts when they were tossed at him.

~x~

“Of course I’d have to agree to wearing these bloody things on the day Liam surprises us with a booze cruise...” Louis grumbled some hours later (and not for the first time), self-consciously tugging on the small blue short’s waistband.

Liam had surprised the others with the news that his parents had paid for the five of them to go to one of the big boat parties as a treat for their last full day and, having already agreed to wear the swim shorts, Louis was trapped, much to Harry’s amusement. Louis’ legs were shorter than Harry’s so while still pretty short, they weren’t as short on him, unfortunately for him though, he was a lot more... filled out in the bum department, so, while not being too short, the shorts _were_ rather on the tight side.

When the others had asked why he was clearly wearing a pair of Harry’s swim shorts, he’d quickly come up with the excuse of having lost a staring contest, Harry quick to confirm it, while Niall just raised a sceptical eyebrow.

They weren’t exactly indecent on him, but Louis sure had caught quite a few more people than he was used to stealing an ogle at his arse. A few drunken girls had even slapped it in passing much to his mates’ amusement.

“Relax, Lou, they look good. I was totally right about them,” Harry assured him with a smug smile, the two of them heading over to one of the Jacuzzis on the party boat to join Niall and the others, as well as a brunette girl who seemed quite taken with Niall, a drink in both their hands.

“Haz! Lou!” Liam, really feeling the effects of having been drinking consistently for the past few hours, cheered when they pulled off their tees, before squeezing into the packed hot tub.

“Whoa, what attacked you, Haz?” Zayn, none too sober himself, asked, squinting at the series of hickeys along the right side of his neck, down to his collarbone.

“Oh, um, uh,” Harry panicked, trying to look down at the purpled bruises, having not realised they were even there, Louis sinking a little deeper into the water and taking a long drink from his beer. He’d been so focused on his shorts that he’d failed to notice the hickeys himself.

Niall just shot Harry a knowing look with a shake of his head.

“Looks like our boy finally got some action! Was beginnin’ t’worry ‘bout you there for a sec, Haz,” Liam laughed, raising his own beer, completely oblivious of the others’ body language.

“Nice one, Haz!” Zayn grinned, lifting his beer too, before he and Liam just downed the last of them.

“How long have you two been together?” the girl asked, smiling sweetly, as she looked at Harry and Louis, the pair sitting side-by-side in the tight space.

This of course caused Louis to nearly swallow his whole bottle, Liam and Zayn both bursting into loud laughter, as Harry’s ears went pink and he choked on his own beer, Niall’s pointed look at him hard to ignore.

“Louis and Harry? Nah, they’re just friends – only met on Thursday even,” Liam laughed, wiping at his eyes with mirth.

“Louis and Harry! Could you even imagine?!” Zayn laughed loudly too, having fallen into Liam, as Niall ‘coughed’ awkwardly into his fist.

“Oh, uh, I’m so sorry! I just assumed, what with Zayn and Liam, and then you two... I’m sorry, I hope I didn’t offend you,” she apologised, cheeks flushing.

“Um, er, that’s okay,” Louis shrugged, trying to play it off and seem nonchalant about it all. “But, yeah, just friends.”

“Nothing more,” Harry added with a nod. At that, Niall couldn’t help but snort loudly, before quickly turning his concentration onto finishing his own beer, Harry the only one who’d noticed.

Luckily, all that stopped Liam and Zayn from asking Harry who he’d managed to pull, the girl – Emily, they learned – quickly changing the topic and a fresh round of drinks all the distraction really needed.

All the drinks of course began to take their toll, Louis eventually leaping into the sea at one point when dared by someone and drunkenly thinking it was a good idea, only to then need to be fished out again by staff, laughing as the drunk partygoers on the boat cheered for him. At least it backed up their swim shorts lie; Harry finding out Louis clearly had a history for not being able to turn down a dare easily. He still then took it as a sign to stop drinking himself though.

Someone had to be remotely sober amongst them, not that he was really, but a rather drunken Niall had disappeared off with Emily – in hindsight Harry realised he probably should have put a stop to that, as sober Niall would regret it later – and Zayn and Liam, both completely pissed, were making absolute fools of themselves on the dance floor with very hands-y dance moves that certainly weren’t appropriate in public.

“Harold!” Louis’ voice carried to him over the loud music, drunken cheers and laughter of the people around him, making Harry turn away from the group of girls he’d been dancing and laughing with to find him.

He didn’t have to look far, an utterly wasted Louis stumbling over, before tripping and subsequently wrapping his arms around Harry and leaning all his body weight into him to catch himself, Harry very nearly being knocked right over himself, not completely stable on his own feet.

“Hello there,” Harry had laughed, Louis burying his face against his chest, before a pair of big blue eyes looked up at him. “What’re you up to?”

“Couldn’t find you,” was all Louis offered him, trying to get back onto his feet properly, but needing to be caught by Harry before he fell over, body very unstable. “Where’d you go, Haz?”

“Well, you went off with those blokes to do tequila shots and called me ‘lame’ when I said I’d rather not,” Harry reminded him, Louis’ body swaying unsteadily, so he pulled him in closer for better support.

“Oh. Right,” Louis nodded, eyes narrowing and eyebrows crinkling, his face going all serious, before he just shrugged and snorted, which made him break out into silly giggles.

“You are so pissed right now,” Harry pointed out with a laugh, making Louis’ little personal giggle fit just explode louder, as he fell into him. Harry had seen Louis drunker before, of course, but this was better, that first night Louis had barely been able to function, now he was just a silly, loveable drunk.

“J’st a lil’ bit,” Louis squinted, raising his thumb and index finger to pinch the air. “Think them tequila shots got me.”

“I’m sure all the beer you’ve been putting back didn’t hurt either,” Harry laughed, wrapping an arm around Louis’ waist properly and pulling him up a bit. “Now why don’t we go find a place to sit for a bit, yeah?”

“Alright,” Louis nodded, allowing Harry to cart him off by the hand to one of the corners, the pair then just sitting down on the wooden decking, Louis flopping his head onto Harry’s shoulder. “Can’t believe this is the last night,” he then sighed, the sun having set recently, the last few colourful rays disappearing over the calm, azure water of the sea.

“Yeah, feels like this holiday’s just flown by,” Harry agreed, his own head subconsciously tilting to rest against Louis’.

“Ugh, don’t wanna go back an’ have t’work,” Louis then grumbled, his eyes lazily watching the way Harry had begun absentmindedly playing with his fingers, never having let go of his hand, the rings on his own fingers catching and glinting in the nearby lights.

“Yeah, I feel you. I really haven’t been missing the early wake ups... Wait, Lou,” Harry sat up a little straighter to look at Louis properly, “I didn’t know you worked? I thought you were studying... studying... Shit, I have no clue what – I can’t believe I never bothered to ask!”

Louis just giggled at Harry’s rapid fire and sudden state of distress. “Relax, Harold. An’, yeah, I do work, but I’m also studying – the job’s just for when I’m on breaks. I’m studyin’ vet-veterinararry,” Louis frowned a little, his current state of intoxication making the word come out funny, so he settled with, “I want t’be a vet.”

“Oh, wow, that’s really cool,” Harry admired, his green eyes widening. “I wanted to be one as a kid for a while.”

“Yeah, me uncle’s a vet, so I help out at his practise for some extra cash an’ experience. Used t’spend me summers there growin’ up too. Always loved animals.”

“Aww, that’s really sweet,” Harry smiled, as Louis just shrugged and looked up at last from their joint hands.

“So, why you working at a bakery then?”

“Oh, well, it’s a family business. My mom runs it and, kinda similar to you, I grew up helping around there and I just love it. Love the sounds and smell and feel of the place; and when I didn’t know what to do after finishing school, it just made sense to kinda stick around more permanently, you know? Lately though, I’ve been thinking about going to a culinary school to maybe, I don’t know, broaden my horizons a little. I’d love to do it all more professionally.”

Louis would have been blind to miss the sparkle in Harry’s suddenly brighter, more emerald eyes then, as he spoke about his future plans with obvious excitement.

“That sounds great, Har,” he grinned, squeezing his hand. “I really should try pop by sometime and sample something.”

“Or, I don’t know, I could maybe just cook for you sometime?” Harry then suggested, his heart rate picking up nervously. He was worried he’d maybe jumped the gun a bit; Louis and him hadn’t really even spoken about what was going on with them, let alone about the possibility of it maybe going on past this little holiday in Spain. For all he knew, the other boy just wanted this whole thing to stay as a summer fling and no more.

“Are you asking me out on a date, Harry?” Louis’ expression was unreadable then, as he looked back up at Harry, looking a whole lot more sober suddenly.

“Um, well, yes? If you’re interested, or else, just as friends... Whichever you’d prefer, I’m gonna put the ball in your court.” Harry couldn’t quite believe the words had left his mouth, as he willed his heart to slow down, his eyes desperately trying to read how Louis was reacting, the other boy taking quite some time to reply, as he nibbled thoughtfully on his bottom lip.

“You know how I’ve said I’ve been with other blokes before?” Louis asked eventually, Harry nodding, uncertain of where this was going. “Well, they were all just hook ups and one night stands... I’ve never tried for anything more with a guy before. I’ve only ever dated girls.”

“So?” Harry asked. “I’ve never had anything serious with, well, anyone really – not including my short lived first and only girlfriend when I was nine. It’d be new territory for both of us.”

“Yeah, but, what if I’m shit at it?”

Harry just shrugged. “I might be too. We won’t know if we don’t try though. We could just take it slow and see how it goes,” he suggested.

“Slow... so what, no sex?” Louis pouted a bit at this, making Harry laugh.

“Well, not necessarily. Maybe just with all the, er, other stuff? Just move at our own pace?”

“So we’d be doing everything a little backwards?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess,” Harry nodded, still uncertain of how Louis would respond and feeling increasingly nervous about it.

The more they spoke about it, the more he realised he really did want to give things with Louis a go. He might not know everything about Louis, like he still didn’t know much about his large family or his life back home, but he knew he was funny and kind and that he loved to be around him. He was an amazing kisser – and pretty damn fine in bed in general. He was also someone Harry wouldn’t mind taking home to meet his mum and Gemma, and quite honestly, how often had he been able to say that about the blokes he’d slept with?

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?” Harry asked, the goofy smile starting to break out across Louis’ face making his heart race even more.

“Yeah, I’d be honoured if you cooked for me sometime. As a date,” Louis said, his big, skew smile on full display, before Harry just pulled in to kiss him, not giving a shit if one of the lads saw them.

Already fuzzy mind now buzzing with excitement and happiness, Louis didn’t think twice about kissing him back and just moved to bury his hands in Harry’s hair as they kissed. Harry wasn’t even bothered by the fact that they were extra sloppy, his mouth just happily joining with Louis’, before he went on to suck teasingly on his tongue, making him moan.

“Like that?” he asked then, cupping Louis’ face and resting their foreheads together. “’Cause I do believe I owe you a little something...” At that, he then drew away a bit and gave a very pointed look towards Louis crotch.

“Fuck, yes, _please_ ,” Louis groaned, Harry standing up and then helping pull him to his feet too, a strong arm wrapping around Louis’ waist then for support as he led him off in the direction of one of the bathrooms.

“This okay with you?” Harry asked then, closing and locking the blessedly vacant loo for them.

Louis just nodded dumbly, Harry then pushing him against the wall, before dragging his hands down his body as he sank down to his knees, shoving Louis’ tee up his torso, so he could press kisses along his abdomen on his way down and nip the sweet bit of pudge on his tummy. His face was then level with Louis’ crotch; those tight blue shorts doing nothing to hide the straining bulge beneath. Harry then just shot him a wicked look, before getting right to it and stripping him bare from the waist down, watching with satisfaction as Louis’ cock sprung up free in front of him.

“Yup, it’s definitely pretty,” Harry nodded with the most seriousness he could manage, his right hand wrapping around the base of him, while the left gripped and held his hip.

“You’re mental,” Louis giggled loudly, making Harry break, that broad smile of his spreading across his face as he met eyes with him.

Then, without breaking eye contact, Harry just leaned forward that extra little bit and licked a long stripe up the underside of his stiff shaft, before swirling his tongue over the flushed, exposed head, Louis groaning loudly.

“Fuckin’ sin, just look at you,” he panted as Harry did it again, a smirk curling his lips, before he moved in to now gently suck on the head of his cock, Louis’ toes scrunching against his flip-flops.

Harry then moved his right hand to mirror the left in gripping Louis’ other hip, before pushing forward and taking more of him into his mouth as he sucked in his cheeks. One of Louis’ hands then moved to weave his fingers in that dark mess of wavy hair, the other grabbing the nearby sink for support, as Harry began to bob his head, taking a little more of Louis in every time he sucked him back in. His eyes never once left Louis’ dilated pupils, the blue of his eyes thin around the edges.

Feeling a little daring then, Harry let his teeth lightly graze Louis on one of his withdraws, causing him to whimper a little as his fingers curled tighter in their hold on Harry’s hair. Harry then tried to ask if that was okay with Louis, hoping he’d understand it all in just a pointed look from his eyes, not wanting to withdraw completely off his cock.

“Y-yeah, s’good,” Louis nodded, smiling down at him a bit deliriously, sweat having gathered at his temples and making his fringe start flopping more in his face.

Harry just winked, satisfied, before going on to repeat the move and was rewarded with another little whimper, a noise he was quickly thinking could be one of his favourites.

The hot puffs of air from Harry’s nose breathing against the base of his cock kept getting stronger and warmer the closer Harry got as he kept taking more of him in, before he played his trump card and relaxed his throat to take the rest of Louis in, until the tip of his nose pressed into the crisp, dark hair of Louis’ crotch. Louis then let out a deep moan of pleasure, the impossibly tight pressure squeezing around him brilliantly hot and wet and nothing like he’d ever experienced before.

Harry finally then allowed his eyes to shut, while he continued to work Louis closer and closer to the edge, as he savoured the weight and feel of him in his mouth. Louis’ scent strong here, but anything but unpleasant, rather just making the bottom of his gut heat in desire. Something the increased groans and whimpers he was pulling from Louis were only adding fuel to.

He couldn’t help but drop a hand to the front of his swim shorts and begin rubbing himself through them, glancing up to see that Louis had thrown his head back against the wall, his mouth hanging open wantonly and eye’s squeezed shut. He also then took in the tanned expanse of Louis’ tensed stomach, his usually lightly defined abs all the more prominent, a sheen of sweet gathering between them and in the scattering of hair that made up his happy trail.

A muffled groan escaping him, Harry doubled his efforts, sucking harder and showing no mercy, while continuing to rub himself quick and hard, Louis’ noises of pleasure growing all the more frantic.

“H-Har. G-gon-gonna,” was all the warning he got before Louis finally shot hotly down his throat with a strangled moan, Harry squeezing hard on the head of his own dick at the sensation only to then surprise himself by suddenly coming hard in his swim shorts with a shocked gasp.

Thanking his quick reflexes, he then managed to shoot his right hand back up to supporting Louis up against the wall, his whole body seeming to go limp, as Harry let his spent dick slip from his mouth.

“You‘kay?” Harry eventually managed to rasp, his throat wrecked and starting to feel sore as the blissful haze of his orgasm began to wear off.

“S-so good. _Fuuuuck_ , Harold. N-never said you could deep-throat,” Louis panted, hands finally releasing their holds on Harry’s hair and the sink, his fingers throbbing a little from being tensed for so long, to clumsily attempt to yank his shorts back on. Eventually Harry just helped pull them up and tuck him back in, before catching Louis in his lap as his legs then just gave out.

“I blow your mind?” Harry asked, as Louis nuzzled his face into the crook of his neck, despite the fact he was very conscious of the fact Louis had been reduced to even more of a noodle than he had been before thanks to the booze.

“Boooooom,” Louis giggled tiredly against the damp skin of his neck, his mouth then beginning to suck lazy kisses there.

“Hmm’glad,” Harry hummed, before coughing a little into his left fist thanks to his tender throat, while he carded the fingers of his other hand through Louis’ damp locks of thick hair.

“Love your voice, so bloody sexy, ‘specially now,” Louis said, one of his hands absentmindedly rubbing up and down the smooth skin of Harry’s arm, before he suddenly tried to sit up properly. “Shit, I should get you off too.”

“Well, um, actually... I kinda just came in my pants like a schoolboy,” Harry admitted with a bashful chuckle, his and Louis’ eyes both going towards his crotch, a damp spot easy to make out in the yellow material of his swim shorts beside Louis’ left thigh.

Louis couldn’t help it, he just burst into loud giggles, wrapping his arms around Harry and pulling him closer.

“Hey! Personally I blame the little show you put on and those noises you made!” Harry defended, using his index finger to bop Louis on the nose. “Hush, you.”

“S-sorry,” Louis tried to apologised before bursting into more giggles when suddenly there was a loud knock at the door.

“OI! You lot done there? Some of us actually needa piss!”

“Oops,” Louis giggled yet some more, as Harry staggered to his feet, pulling Louis up too.

“C’mon then, let’s go find the others, we’ll be back at shore soon I’d imagine.”

“Alrighty,” Louis smiled, smacking a quick kiss to Harry’s lips before he could open the door. Naturally Harry had to reel him in for another, longer kiss then, both ignoring the annoyed banging on the door.

~x~

Naturally the walk back to the hotel was a mission, Louis had stumbled into a very upset Niall who’d been trying to drink his sorrows and regret, and already being drunk thought he should join in for moral support. Harry had then ended up having to piggyback a completely legless Louis and Liam and Zayn, despite struggling to walk straight themselves, had to support a near comatose Niall between them.

To say Harry was annoyed with Louis for being so stupid, what with it being their last night and probably last chance to slip in that promised second shag, would have been an understatement. He carried him to the bathroom when they eventually got to their room and made him remove his contacts, before begrudgingly helping him to his bed and then helping tuck in a passed out Niall, before going to his own bed.

Niall was completely out of it and sleeping like the dead and, as much as he loved his mate, it would have been perfect, but Louis could barely even stand now. They had a noon flight, so there wasn’t even the pressure of needing an early night.

He was just so inexplicably mad. He would have at least liked to chat and learn more about Louis, who knew when they’d get the chance to again, they both led such busy lives back home.

“Har?” So it was that when he heard the whispered word from Louis’ side of the room, he’d been surprised, having just assumed he’d passed out like Niall. “Haz? Hazza? Harold? _Harry?_ ” He’d been tempted to ignore him, but when he then just continued calling out for him, voice getting louder every time, he snapped.

“Yes? What, Louis?” He shocked even himself a little with the sting of his voice as he turned to glare at Louis’ bed in the dark, his eyes able to just make out the basic shape of him in bed, his whole body jerking back in response.

“I-I just... L-lie with me? Puh-lease, Har?” his words were slurred and incredibly shy now, as he pouted in the darkness, Harry just able to make out that he was holding up the duvet for him.

“Louis...” Harry sighed, wanting to stay grumpy with him, but starting to fail. He was so screwed.

“Har?”

“Ugh, fine,” Harry grumbled in defeat, clambering out of bed and going over to slip under the covers with Louis, who immediately bundled him up in his arms. He was such a pushover... but then, well, he loved snuggling with Louis and this was their last night together after all.

“S’soft,” Louis’ voice mumbled into the back of his neck as he nuzzled against the warm skin there, Harry’s scent making him smile to himself sleepily as his eyes fluttered shut.

Harry just brought up a hand to link his fingers with the fingers of Louis’, which was resting against his chest, as he then felt the other boy’s body relax against his back, the puffs of air against his back from his breaths slowing and evening out to signify that he’d fallen asleep.

“What am I going to do about you...” Harry murmured to himself, his thumb rubbing slow circles into the flesh of Louis’ palm.

~x~

On their final morning, Harry awoke surrounded by a solid, warm weight and to the sensation of soft lips pressing kisses along his chest and up his throat, before repeating their path in a loop, the slight scratch of facial scruff against his skin accompanying the motions.

“Lou?” he asked, slowly opening his eyes, his morning voice even deeper and raspier than normal.

“Mornin’,” came Louis’ own sleep gruff voice, warm green eyes looking up at him to find his own blue ones were still fuzzy from sleep and his toffee-brown hair was in a mess of fluffy tufts. “Sorry ‘bout last night. I have a killer headache if that makes you feel better?”

“Morning,” Harry smiled, last night’s annoyances forgotten, “An’ s’fine. Sorry about your head,” he added, as he stretched and glanced over to find Niall’s bed empty.

“He ran off to find Elsa – he fucked up yesterday,” Louis explained before he even needed to ask.

“Hmm, I guess... but he and Elsa aren’t exactly dating, they’re just a silly summer fling,” Harry shrugged yawning, before he realised Louis had gone a little stiff above him, and not in a good way either. His lazy green eyes abruptly snapped open wide with realisation and he looked up at Louis. “Shit, I mean, well, I–”

“It’s... it’s fine, Harry,” Louis sighed, lying back down on the bed beside Harry, having moved off him and now just staring blankly up at the ceiling.

“I’m sorry, okay? I wasn’t thinking – I only did just wake up,” Harry tried to explain, propping himself up on his elbow to look down at him, willing those blue eyes to look back up at him.

“It’s still cheating... He and Elsa have been pretty much exclusive all week, even if they never said anything about it, it was still disloyal,” Louis eventually said in a soft voice, his eyes finally rolling to regard Harry’s face.

“You’re right, I’m sorry, Lou,” Harry sighed, reaching out to brush Louis’ long fringe out of his eyes. “It was stupid of me to say that.”

Louis just shrugged and offered him a small smile.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Sure,” Louis replied, pulling Harry over, his messy dark hair hanging over them as he leaned in to seal their lips in relief.

Their lips slowly massaged one another, their kiss tender and sweet, Louis then parting his lips to allow Harry’s tongue to gently slide in against his own one, eyes falling shut, as Louis crossed his arms around Harry’s neck and tilted his head back more. Harry cupped either side of Louis’ face, his thumbs smoothing over his high-cheekbones, as he hummed a little, the smaller brunet’s tongue slowly moving wetly against his own.

Harry’s hips began to move of their own volition then as they continued to kiss, slowly rolling into Louis’, whose began to respond in kind, their boxer-clad cocks rubbing against one another and rapidly hardening. Louis broke off to groan on a particularly firm press of friction, Harry just moving to then suck along his pulse point, which only made him groan deeper, his body arching up into Harry’s.

Of course that just so happened to be the moment a very hungover Liam stumbled into their room, his eyebrows shooting into his hairline and jaw dropping to the floor at the sight, as Zayn walked smack into the back of him, having not expected him to stop so suddenly.

“Holy shit! Louis?! Harry?!”

“Wha–Oh, shit!” Zayn gasped out in shock when he got an eyeful too.

Startled, the boys on the bed immediately broke apart, cheeks burning and eyes wide as they looked back at their friends, gripping the duvet up to their chests on reflex.

“Um–”

“Uh–”

“But Louis– I... What?” Zayn stuttered frowning in confusion.

“I told you I was bi?” Louis offered to Liam, who was stood there with his mouth still agape and making strange noises.

“Y-yeah, but I thought you said it to make me feel more comfortable when I came out to you?”

“Yeah... not so much,” Louis shrugged apologetically. “Anyway, how did you two just get in here?”

“Uh, we passed Niall earlier and he gave us his key card so we could come wake up two up? Clearly you didn’t need any help in getting up though...”

“Zayn,” Liam hissed, as he elbowed him in the side.

“Sorry ‘bout all this,” Harry apologised sheepishly, his hair an absolute mess around his head and his hickeys standing out even more prominent against his skin to their no longer ignorant eyes.

“Does Niall know? About,” Liam gestured between them with his hand, “this?”

“No, we didn’t wa–” Louis began, only for an even more sheepish Harry to amend it with the truth.

“Actually, uh, yeah, he does...”

“You told him?!” Louis asked, hurt, turning to look directly at Harry.

“Well, uh, he kinda walked in on us too, yesterday morning, when you were still asleep?”

“A-and you didn’t tell me?” Louis stated more than asked, what with him obviously already knowing the answer, he just didn’t want to believe it, as he sat up more.

“Well, you didn’t want the others to know and I didn’t want you to get upset, and you were still asleep. Niall promised he wouldn’t tell anyone – he’s my best mate, Lou, I trust him. I’ve never not told him anything either,” Harry tried to explain, but on top of his little slip earlier, it was too much for an already skittish Louis, who jumped out of bed and grabbed for a pair of his shorts lying on the floor nearby.

“I am upset now, though. Much more so than I would’ve been if you hadn’t just lied to me. I made a fool of myself yesterday; he knew the whole time!” he pointed out, jumping into his shorts and hastily doing them up before grabbing a discarded t-shirt and pulling that on too.

“Hey, you both technically lied to both of us when you stated for a fact that you were just friends – we also look like idiots now,” Zayn tried to point out himself, but shrunk under the icy glare Louis gave him in response.

“C’mon, Louis, don’t be like this. It’s such a silly little thing,” Harry tried to reason, getting up now too and walking towards him.

“Yeah, but that’s just it, isn’t it? If you can so easily deceive me about something so little, what’s to stop you from doing it with something more important? Trust is so vital to me, how can we even try test anything out if I already can’t trust you 100%?” he said, not even looking at Harry as he shoved his feet straight into his Vans, before heading for the door.

“Louis, you’re overreacting. Please, don’t be like this. Where are you going?” Harry asked, not even caring that he was starting to sound hysterical and begging in front of Zayn and Liam, as he grabbed for a pair of his own shorts.

“For a walk. Please, don’t. I... I wanna be alone.” And with that he just left, the door closing with a firm _click_ behind him.

“Don’t, Harry,” Liam said, reaching out to grab Harry by the arm before he could follow.

“But, he–he’s got it all wrong! I didn’t wanna hurt him! Really, I just... I...”

“Relax, mate,” Liam squeezed his arm gently. “You’ve got to remember he’s just come out of a relationship where he was being lied to; it’s only expected that he’d have some serious trust issues now. Just... give him a little space. Louis’ doesn’t always think before he acts and he’s got a bit of a temper.”

“Yeah, he’ll realise he overreacted when he calms down; you going after him now won’t help your cause, trust me, we’ve fought enough with him in the past to know,” Zayn added, offering Harry a sympathetic smile.

Harry just let out a deep sigh of frustration and went to flop down on his bed. “But we’re leaving today. This is not how we were supposed to end this holiday.”

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking, how long has this, uh, thing been going on, between you two?” Zayn asked curiously, him and Liam moving to sit on Niall’s bed.

“Only as of three nights ago,” Harry replied, staring up at the ceiling. “The night we all dressed up as fairies.”

“I could tell you’d developed a thing for him, little bastard played dumb when I approached him on the topic,” Liam grumbled. “Should’ve known, but I didn’t believe Louis when he said he was bi all those years ago - forgot about it in fact... I am a right shitty friend.”

“Join the club; I let Niall make a drunken mistake I could see coming a mile off in favour of hooking up with the guy whose trust I betrayed...”

“Hey, that’s not true, you’re both good friends from what I’ve seen. So you made a mistake, you’re both human,” Zayn tried to reassure them, wrapping his arm around Liam. “Try not to stress, Harry, Louis’ll come around. Also, you can’t blame yourself for Niall’s mistakes too.”

~x~

When Louis did get back from his walk eventually, he made no move to speak to Harry, so, taking his friends’ advice, he also kept to himself as they packed up in uncomfortable silence and then all got together for a final brunch before they caught their flights back to England.

Louis had spent most of the meal in uncharacteristic silence and then when it came to saying goodbye he gave Harry a brief hug and nod, exactly like he had Niall, if not somewhat more dismissive, before putting his headphones on and heading straight off to the terminal their airline was leaving from.

“Be patient,” Zayn had assured Harry as he’d hugged him goodbye too, his ever-expressive face giving away just how hurt he felt.

“And if he doesn’t stop being a twat, I’ll kick his arse for you,” Liam had then also added.

While Niall had been completely oblivious to it all, still fretting about the fact that in the end he’d not told Elsa about Emily, thinking it would just upset her unnecessarily and he was leaving now anyway, so why hurt her for nothing. It didn’t mean the guilt wasn’t now eating him up though. Both Harry and Niall had remained pretty much silent for the duration of their flight, both lost in their troubled thoughts.

Being back home then, away from the bright sunshine and back to responsibilities and life with his mum and sister at the bakery, made what happened between him and Louis in Magaluf feel like it had never happened. The fact that he still hadn’t heard from the other boy since their return only added to that feeling. And despite wanting to then make the first move at reconnecting, he stuck to what Liam and Zayn had told him; Louis needed to be given his space. Harry was just wondering how much more he would need though. He was suffering in this impasse of not knowing and regret.

It was strange; he’d never felt like this before over anyone, Louis never far from his thoughts, as well as the uncomfortable feeling in his gut that accompanied this. He didn’t know what to do. He felt miserable.

Niall wasn’t much better off himself either.

“Now she’s saying she’s applied to some student exchange thing so she can maybe come stay here,” he groaned from where he sat on the couch, his head bowing towards the laptop on his lap. “I’m screwed!”

“You’re gonna have to tell her, mate,” Harry said, hopping into one of his suede ankle boots, before doing the same to the other one.

Niall was still in contact with Elsa and over the past week or so since they’d gotten back from Spain, the two had been trading messages over Facebook nonstop. Niall still had yet to come clean about what had happened at the boat party though.

Similarly, Harry had prowled Facebook and easily found Louis, their mutual friends of Liam, Zayn and Niall meaning he was one of the firsts to pop up under ‘Louis’. The fact that his account wasn’t locked then meaning Harry had wasted a lot of time scrolling through pictures and just admittedly Facebook stalking him in general.

“Yes, I should, but... Harry, it’ll hurt her. What if she can’t forgive me?” Niall asked, his big blue eyes reflecting just how wretched he felt about it all.

“Niall, it’ll only be worse if you leave it any longer. Besides, look at you, you’re only beating yourself up here, you need to get it off your chest and clear your conscience,” Harry replied, walking over to squeeze Niall’s shoulder in sympathy.

“You’re right, I know... It’s just... Okay, I’ll do it,” Niall nodded, with a sigh, leaning back into the cushions now, before glancing over to look properly at his friend, who certainly didn’t look his usual bright and sunny self. “Ah, shit, Haz, I’m the worst mate, sitting here complaining to you all about my love life problems when I haven’t even bothered to ask you about yours.”

Harry just shrugged, trying his best not to look at forlorn as he felt. “Well there’s not much to say. Still haven’t heard anything from Louis; I guess he decided I wasn’t worth it in the end.”

“Ugh, I’ll talk to Liam about it for you? Ask him to get his mate to stop being such an arse and actually tell you what’s going on. It’s unfair to leave you hanging like this, not to mention super rude,” Niall said, frowning now and feeling annoyed for Harry’s sake.

“Nah, don’t worry about it, Niall. Liam and Zayn both said I just need to give him some time; so I am,” Harry said. The last thing he wanted right now was for Niall to get involved, as much as he appreciated his friend’s offer.

“Yes, but, Harry, it’s been over a week since we got back, how long does he want you to wait?”

Harry just shrugged, not really knowing what to say, as he’d been wondering over the same thing. “We’ll see. And, Niall, for what it’s worth, I hope it goes well with Elsa,” he said, giving his shoulder a pat then, before heading to the door and grabbing an umbrella, the weather outside anything but warm and sunny like it had been in Magaluf. “Have to be off now, I’m already running late, cheers.”

“Okay, if you’re sure; just know I’m always here for you. And thanks, Haz, enjoy work!”

~x~

Sometime after the lunch rush, Harry checked his phone to see a text from Niall saying he’d Skyped Elsa and that she’d been completely amazing about it all, and now they were trying for a proper, long-distance relationship.

“Wow, that’s really something, Haz. I can’t say I’d be able to do the long-distance thing myself, especially with such a big distance,” Gemma, his sister and gossip confidante, said when he’d told her. He’d been giving her updates on everything since his return home and to the family bakery they both helped out in.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I’d be able to do it either... but he did say she’d applied for a student exchange program, so she may be over here sooner than we know,” Harry replied, retying up his messy little bun and pulling back on his thin headband, before his mother could complain about the pieces which slipped out – for obvious reasons she didn’t like loose hair around the food.

“Still, that’s some dedication, but then Niall always has been a sweetheart when it comes down to it,” Gemma hummed, fixing up her own hair a bit.

“Yeah, but then the odd part – but maybe this is just me over analysing things – is that he then added ‘Enjoy the rest of your day Hazza! Be nice!’ and a winky face emoji... When am I not nice?” Harry wondered, washing his hands so he could go back into the main part of the shop and help out by the counter again, his lunch break up.

“Hey, he’s your wacky friend, not mine, what do I know?” she laughed with a shrug and Harry just waved her off, before heading back out to serve customers.

Harry then easily got back into the sway of things, smiling and joking with customers and promoting his special offer hazelnut brownies as hard as he could get away with, determined for them to outsell Gemma’s special offer éclairs. The two definitely had a rivalry, especially when it came to baking.

After serving an elderly woman, Harry turned his attention to making a latte and cappuccino for a couple that Gemma was waitressing, while she dealt with their cake slices. When he turned to put the finished drinks on the counter for her, he nearly dropped them in surprise, for who should be standing on the other side and looking incredibly sheepish, but Louis Tomlinson himself.

“Er, hi,” he said, as Harry carefully concentrated on putting down the drinks, before looking up to regard the other boy properly.

Louis was wearing his black Vans, a pair of incredibly tight black skinnies, an over sized white tee that came down to his thighs and a denim jacket, droplets of rain dappled all over it, his toffee-brown hair damp with rain too. He had since shaved the scruff that had grown on his face over the course of their holiday and looked younger not to mention terribly sheepish indeed, nervously nibbling on his bottom lip and with his hands buried in his pockets.

“Hey,” Harry nodded, not quite sure of what to say to him exactly. Cleary the amount of time he’d been expected to wait had finally come to an end, but now... well, he couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed. Why had Louis taken so damn long to speak to him?

“Um, I don’t suppose I could speak to you?” he asked, blue eyes flitting around the area behind the counter where Harry worked.

“I’m afraid I can’t exactly just leave my shift; I’m working now,” Harry replied, thanking the stars that he was able to maintain a rather professional exterior with him.

“Oh, well, I’ll wait then for you to finish?” Louis offered hopefully.

“I have three more hours left,” Harry said, raising his eyebrows sceptically.

“Oh, uh, that’s, um, that’s okay? I’ll just wait at one of the tables? I promise I’ll order stuff and not just take up space,” he suggested, quickly adding the last part.

Louis just looked so nervous and shy, so out of character for the usually loud and bubbly boy, add in the fact that he was willing to wait all that time just to speak to Harry? Well Harry couldn’t help the little smile that broke through his attempt at a tough exterior, Louis visibly calming a bit at the sight of it.

“Alright,” Harry nodded, unable to reel back in the little smile when Louis beamed back at him thankfully.

“Thank you. Um, yeah, so, uh, I guess I’ll leave you to it then,” he said, more than aware of the impatient woman behind him, before nodding at Harry and then scuttling off to sit at one of the little tables in the corner.

So Harry once more tried to slip back into work mode, but this time it was a little harder, the knowledge that Louis was sitting not too far away distracting and he certainly caught the other boy glancing over at him more than once.

“ _And_ , who’s that then, love?” His mother’s voice startled him, as he was putting cash into the register, the short queue in front of the counter now gone.

“What?” Harry asked, trying to play it dumb, but she just laughed and playfully swatted him behind the head.

“C’mon now, Harry, you’re not fooling me for a second. Plus he keeps looking over here,” she said, prompting them both to look over at him and, sure enough, catching him doing exactly that, his cheeks flushing as he quickly looked down at his cup of tea, which Gemma had brought over for him at some point, ignorant of who he was.

“Wait a second... It’s him, isn’t it, Haz? That’s Louis,” Gemma suddenly said, having been eavesdropping as she plated up one of her éclairs.

“Louis? Who’s Louis? How come I haven’t heard anything about this Louis?” their mum asked, looking between them with feigned hurt.

“Oh God, do you maybe want to say his name one more time? Just in case he doesn’t already know we’re talking about him,” Harry groaned, feeling his cheeks heat as their smiles grew.

“Ah-ha! It is him!” Gemma declared victoriously, unabashedly looking over properly now at poor Louis, whose cup of tea had apparently become the most interesting thing in the room, as he continued to stare down at it. “Wow, he _is_ fit. I approve little brother.”

“Very cute indeed,” their mum agreed, also looking over at him, with a smile playing along her lips.

“Oh. My. God. You two are so embarrassing,” Harry groaned some more, wishing a hole would form in the ground and just swallow him up. “That’s the last time I’m telling you anything Gemma.”

“I still don’t know who he is though.”

“He’s friends with Niall’s mate Liam, he was on the lads trip with them. Apparently he and Harry here really hit it off, if you know what I mean,” Gemma informed her, the two then giggling as he just closed his eyes and shook his head. “Oh, lighten up, how often have you teased me about my boyfriends over the years? I think it’s time I get some payback at last.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Harry objected, but they didn’t seem to care.

“He never has had any boyfriends really, has he? At least none he’s ever told me about,” their mum sighed wistfully.

“So, what’s he doing here? I thought he’s been giving you the cold shoulder,” Gemma said, the éclair all but forgotten as she leant against the counter.

“The cold shoulder?”

“Yeah, Harry lied to him and he freaked out,” Gemma explained briefly to her, before looking back expectantly at Harry. “They haven’t spoken since Spain.”

“You lied? About what? You’re not usually a liar, Harry,” their mum sighed, disappointment clear in her voice.

“That’s not, well, not exactly what happened. There was a misunderstanding,” Harry tried to defend himself, but sighed in annoyance when his sister just raised an eyebrow at him. “Oi, I thought you were on my side? Anyway, he’s here waiting to talk to me.”

“Well, why are you standing here talking to us then and keeping him waiting?” their mum asked.

“I’m working, my shift’s not over yet,” Harry explained, bewildered when both women just sighed and rolled their eyes at him.

“So dense,” Gemma sighed, patting Harry pityingly on the back before picking up the plate with her éclair again.

“Why didn’t you just tell me, love? It’s not every day that a cute boy walks in here wanting to talk to my only son; go and speak to the boy, Harry,” their mother smiled at him now.

“B-but work?” Harry asked, looking between them, Gemma just laughing and shaking her head affectionately before heading off to finally serve her pastry.

“Go on, take the rest of the day off. It’s not too busy, Gemma and I can handle it on our own,” she urged, holding a hand out for his apron.

“Well, if you’re sure,” he said uncertainly, undoing the knot at his back, before slipping off the apron and handing it over. “Thanks, Mum. You’re too kind.”

“Don’t mention it,” she winked, going on her tiptoes to peck his cheek, before ushering him off.

Then with a nervous intake of breath and a regretful downwards look at the old clothes he’d put on that morning, his badly faded and slightly moth-eaten Rolling Stones t-shirt definitely having seen better days and both it and his worn skinnies marred with flour dust from that morning’s baking, he made his way over to Louis.

“Uh, hey, my mum gave me the rest of the day off, so?” he shrugged, Louis having looked up when he’d approached.

“Oh, uh, then,” Louis got up a little too hastily, clearly still nervous, so he could pull out his wallet and find some cash for his tea and a tip. “Don’t suppose you know how much the Yorkshire Tea is?”

“Don’t worry about it, really, I’ll cover it,” Harry assured him, brushing off his attempt then to argue with a careless wave of his hand before he could even get a word out.

“Oh, okay then... So, uh, where do you wanna,” Louis motioned a bit hopelessly, making Harry’s stubborn smile resurface.

“Um, why don’t we just go for a walk and talk, yeah? It seems to finally have stopped raining,” he suggested, Louis nodding, so he led him off to the exit, holding open the door for him, before glancing back over his shoulder to see both his mum and sister giving him the thumbs up and grinning away madly. He quickly shut the door and herded Louis off.

“So, uh, first off, I just wanna say I’m really really sorry that I’ve left this so long. I wanted to do it sooner, honest, but then the little ones got sick and then the older children and me mum, so I had to go back home and help out. I completely lost track of time, I’m so sorry. I came over as soon as I could; I just got back this morning.”

Harry looked over at Louis, everything about his expression saying he was telling the truth and that he clearly did feel sorry about leaving Harry hanging.

“How’d you know where to find me?” Harry asked, choosing to rather not go on about how miserable he’d felt all week hearing only radio silence from the other boy. He wasn’t so sure if he trusted Louis enough yet to leave himself too exposed to him.

“Erm, I got Niall’s number off Liam and gave him a call, he told me you’d be there,” Louis explained, half-heartedly throwing his thumb over his shoulder to point round about back at the bakery.

“Oh... guess that explains Niall’s text then,” Harry muttered more to himself, thinking back to the little ‘Be nice!’ at the end of the text. Well he was being nice, wasn’t he? Question now was whether Louis would reward or punish him for it.

“Sorry?” Louis asked apologetically, not having heard him clearly.

“Don’t worry about it; I was just nattering off to myself about something. So, you’re here and finally talking to me,” he said, steering the conversation back to where it needed to go, unable to stop a little of the hurt he felt escape into his voice.

“Um, yeah,” Louis nodded, biting on his bottom lip as he looked down at the way his Vans scuffed along the pavement every couple of steps. “I really am sorry about leaving this so late...”

Harry nodded back in turn, before saying what he’d been dying to get out since Louis had stormed out of their hotel room. “My intention was honestly not to purposefully lie to you – I wasn’t thinking. I just didn’t want you to get all upset and potentially decide that whatever complications you saw developing if our friends knew were too much, and that you’d put an end to it all.”

Louis listened carefully, before letting out a deep sigh and pushing his hands into his denim jacket’s pockets, a light drizzle beginning to pick up now again. “Look, Harry, I get that now; I kinda overreacted. I’m sorry I acted so brashly, I sometimes also don’t think – I get worked up and then I’m just off and refuse to sit down and look at things more calmly; I’m working on that. I guess I have a bit of a temper...”

“From what I’ve heard from Liam and Zayn? There’s no ‘guessing’ about that,” Harry corrected, unable to help himself with lightening the mood a bit. It was clear Louis had really given this some thought too.

Louis just shook his head, a fleeting little smile curling his lips. “You can’t believe everything those two tell you.”

“Well, I took their advice not to run after you and to give you some space – they said you’d come to me when you were ready – and now, here you are,” Harry shrugged. “They can’t be all wrong.”

“No, I guess not,” Louis nodded, before briefly looking back up at Harry, his green eyes open and staring right back, before he looked back down at his feet. “Harry, I’m not looking for excuses, but... you’ve got to understand where I’m coming from too. After what I went through with my ex – feeling like a complete idiot for having just fallen for all her lies – I can’t help but have some serious trust issues.

“And I think it was also just a whole combination of your comment on what Niall was doing and then later finding out he’d known about us, but you’d pretended our secret was still safe... I felt like I’d been made to look like an utter idiot again, going on like nothing was happening between us and denying it in front of him. It just... it trigged me and I freaked, okay?”

Harry nodded in understanding, Louis finally looking back up to meet his eyes, as everything suddenly just came pouring out of him. “I get that, Lou, I really do; but you’ve also got to realise that I’m not her. This whole thing is a new start, a chance to start afresh. And yeah, I kinda lied about the whole Niall knowing thing, but, honestly, at the time I hadn’t thought it was a big deal. I was just trying to keep you happy, ‘cause I like you, Louis. I really do.

“It’s ironic if you think about it; I was so worried about you bailing on what we could potentially have, that I pretty much ruined it all myself anyway. I’m really sorry though. I’ve more than learnt from my mistake. I’ve never felt the way I do around you with anyone else, it’s all so new to me, and you ignoring me this past week or so has honestly been one of the toughest things I’ve been through.

I’m not used to being the one who waits anxiously by the phone, wondering if I’ll ever hear from the other person. Nor the one who is reduced to Facebook stalking them, just needing to see their face and genuinely curious about the shit they get up to. Louis, this is seriously foreign territory to me, but it’s just made it all the more clear to me that I’m really into you, and if you’d just give me anoth–”

“Wait, you Facebook stalked me?” Louis asked, interrupting him, Harry’s cheeks flushing in the chilly drizzle.

“Er, yeah, I did,” Harry nodded, thinking of the other boy’s profile picture, Louis posing mid sip out of a teapot or, his favourite, a much older one he’d scrolled back to find, of a slightly younger Louis with his soft looking fringe all brushed to one side and wearing a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses. “Speaking of which you should really improve the security of it – like lock the account to only friends...”

“Clearly,” Louis nodded seriously, before that sweet grin of his took over his features, but then disappeared as he came to a sudden stop, Harry following suit. “I’m sorry I was a prat, Har. We both kinda fucked up.”

Harry just nodded, uncertain of what to say, Louis having derailed him from his whole ‘give me another chance’ and ‘I may already be falling for you’ speech.

“But... I don’t suppose you’re willing to, I don’t know, start from the beginning again?” Louis offered hopefully, his big blue eyes searching Harry’s, which were a darker, olive shade in the light of the storm gathering around them, the drizzle coming down far more closer to proper rain now.

“I was literally just about to ask you for another chance,” Harry answered, stepping a little closer. “So, uh, yes, I’d love to.”

“I’m sorry, I interrupted, I got a little distracted by the fact that you stalked me on Facebook,” Louis admitted, his bottom lip curling behind his front teeth.

“Oh, hush,” Harry giggled with a shake of his head. “So, are we gonna seal this with kiss or...?”

Louis freed his bottom lip as a giggle escaped him, before stepping closer himself, the toes of his trainers and Harry’s boots touching, before Harry bent his head down the height difference they had and their lips met in a firm kiss. Louis then wrapped his arms around Harry’s neck as the kiss deepened, both opening their mouths up to the other, the taller brunet’s hands then settling on Louis’ slim waist and pulling him even closer.

Naturally that was when the heavens then decided to open properly and a torrent of rain came pouring down upon them and interrupted their little moment and kiss, just as they’d begun to really get in to it.

“Shit,” Louis cursed, trying to then shrug a bit out of his denim jacket, so that he could pull it over his head.

“Come, there’s a bus stop just over there,” Harry urged, the two then making a dash for it, Louis making it under the little shelter first, before Harry ran in right after him, crowding him up against the side, both now positively soaked.

“I’m completely drenched,” Louis complained, shrugging his jacket back on properly, it having done nothing to save him from the driving rain, his dark fringe plastered against his face, before Louis pushed it back irritably.

Harry’s keen eyes couldn’t help but take in the way his white tee had been soaked see-through, the wet material clinging right against his front through his open jacket and leaving nothing to the imagination. Harry blinked away the droplets of rain that had gotten caught in his dark eyelashes, as he then reached out to open Louis’ jacket some more, the other boy letting him with an amused smile.

“What?” he asked, leaning back against the sidewall that was advertising McDonalds, rain pelting loudly on the roof above their heads.

“Oh, like you don’t know,” Harry chuckled, holding the jacket now caught around Louis’ biceps, as his eyes took in his quickly rising chest, thanks to the mad dash over, his nipples standing stark against the somewhat drier sides of his thin t-shirt, as well as the dip of his belly button, where the wet top was pasted to his skin.

“Okay, maybe I do,” Louis grinned, his own eyes dancing over Harry’s heated expression and down over his own completely drenched clothing, his old tee having ridden up a little in the run over and its wet state causing it to stay put, the soft skin of Harry’s waist and the little trail of hair on his navel on full display, the tops of his hipbones even peaking through and the bit of softness he had there in the form of those little love handles.

Instead of verbally expressing how the other boy made him feel, Louis craned his neck forward to seek more kisses, his arms trapped in Harry’s hold of his jacket. Chuckling, Harry pressed forward too, the hard form of his body lining up against Louis’ as their lips joined in a searing kiss and he slotted one of his thighs between Louis’. He then let go of his damp jacket to instead peel Louis’ soaked tee up his torso, his hands cradling either side of his ribcage as his thumbs sought out the hardened nubs of his nipples.

Louis couldn’t hold back the breathy moan that escaped him into the kiss as Harry’s thumbs pressed against his sensitive nipples, making him also suck in his stomach as he tried to hold back more noises and his head thump back against the McDonalds advert. Harry just hummed happily, their kissing rather frantic, the ticklish sensation of a drop of water sliding down his exposed lower back only half registering, as he went on to suck on the other boy’s tongue, knowing it drove him wild. He was not disappointed.

“Ah-hem. Excuse me, but do you mind?”

The boys immediately broke apart, both hastily trying to yank back down their t-shirts and their faces burning hot with embarrassment, as they looked over to notice for the first time that two old ladies were sitting on the bench on the other side of the bus stop.

“Sorry,” Louis cringed apologetically, the pair looking anything but impressed.

“I’m so sorry, we didn’t see you,” Harry added, as the two tutted and shook their heads.

They could just hear the one muttering “Teenagers” to her friend, who huffed in return, both then going back to whatever they’d been nattering on about before they couldn’t take anymore from the boys.

“Oops,” Louis mouthed to Harry, who couldn’t hold back laugh, both boys unable to stop smiling goofily at one another, as they moved to sit down now on the bench.

When Louis then reached out and held Harry’s hand, the taller brunet squeezed his in return and they both met eyes shyly, before Louis’ head ducked down bashfully, but he stroked his thumb over Harry’s hand and the rings on his fingers. An idea then formed in Harry’s mind.

“Lou?”

“Yeah?” he asked, looking back up at Harry, eyes briefly flitting over to the two elderly women to check they were still keeping to themselves, before returning to meet the warm depths of Harry’s virescent eyes.

“I was thinking, we’re already at a bus stop and I know this one is used by the buses which stop near my flat, so... I don’t suppose you’d maybe want to come over? We could cuddle on the sofa and watch a movie and I could maybe cook that dinner for you? Though I’m afraid it won’t be anything special, as I haven’t shopped especially... That is if you’re not too busy, or don’t have somewhere else to go,” Harry said, the odd tangling sensation in his gut from nerves telling him just how much he really wanted Louis to say yes. How much he really wanted Louis.

“I’d love to,” Louis smiled and was rewarded with Harry’s own, brilliant smile, the one which reminded him of the sun as it lit up his whole face, making his dimples pop and eyes sparkle. The one that made Louis know there was no use in fighting the way Harry made him feel, warmth spreading in his chest and making his own smile widen happily and his eyes crinkle.

Harry squeezed his hand again and Louis squeezing his back, before, thinking he might implode if he didn’t, Harry leaned over and kissed him, Louis readily then kissing him back; the old ladies could jog on for all they cared.

Harry knew it wasn’t always going to be easy and that this was all new territory to the both of them, but he was excited about it. Excited and nervous about all these strange new feelings that Louis invoked in him and what it could all mean for their futures. He’d never been in love before, but as he lost himself in their kiss, Louis still holding his hand and entwining their fingers, he felt he could quite easily see himself properly falling for Louis. It was scary and thrilling all at once.

He couldn’t wait to learn more about him, perhaps even meet his large family and spend more time with him and learn silly things like how Louis liked his tea in the morning, or if he slept with socks when it got cold, what foods he hated and what his guilty pleasures were...

What he did know for sure though, was that despite what his guarded heart was no doubt telling him, Louis was taking a chance on him and Harry promised then and there to himself, that he would take only the best care of it and heal whatever damage he’d suffered in the past. There was something special about Louis and he wasn’t going to mess this up.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Feel free to come chat to me on [tumblr](http://deadsupremacy.tumblr.com/), I'm new to this fandom and it would be great to make more friends! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.


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